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DRAMA OF THE 
APOCALYPSE 



BY 

THOMAS C. BIRD 



BOSTON 

ROXBURGH PUBLISHING COMPANY 
INCORPORATED 



COPYRIGHT, 1912 
BY THOMAS C. BIRD 



E. L. Grimes Co., Printers, Boston 



/ <y- o 
©CI.A330008 



(Ho 

Bourr? of inspiration, ttjtfi ttolnut* in 
lomnnlg tnamfoo 



"He (Emerson) believed in quotation, and borrowed 
from everybody and every book. Not in any stealthy or 
shamefaced way, but proudly, royally, as a king borrows 
from one of his attendants the coin that bears his own 
image and superscription." 

— O. W. HOLMES. 



"The greatest is he who has been oftenest aided." 

— RUSKIN. 



CONTENTS 



Part I. Introductory. I-V. 



Chapter I. The Foreword. 1:1-3. 

Chapter II. The Salutation. 1:4-8. 

Chapter III. Captain of the Lord's Host. 1:9-20. 

Chapter IV. The Lord's Host. II-III. 

Chapter V. The Lord's Messages. II-III. 

Chapter VI. The Forces of Righteousness. IV-V. 



Part, II. Universal Aspect of the Conflict. 'VI-VIL 

Chapter VII. Description of the Conflict. VI. 
Chapter VIII. Vision of the Redeemed. VII. 

Part III. The National or Redemptive Aspect. VIII-XII. 

Chapter IX. Judgment for Sacrifice. VIII-IX. 
Chapter X. Finished Redemption. X-XI. 
Chapter XI. The Word Made Flesh— Crisis of the 

Battle. XII. 



Part IV. The Local or Contemporary Aspect of the Con- 
flict. XIII:1-XX:6. 

Chapter XII. The Forces of Unrighteousness. XIII, 
Chapter XIII. Contemporary Church Viewed Ideally. 
XIV. 

Chapter XIV. Harbingers of Judgment. XV-XVI. 

Chapter XV. Judgment of the Harlot. XVII-XVIII. 

Chapter XVI. The Triumph of Christ, or the "Mar- 
riage of the Lamb." XIX:1-XX:6. 



Part V. Conclusion. XX:7-XXII:21. 

Chapter XVII. Judgment of Satan and the Dead. 

XX: 7-15. 

Chapter XVIII. New Heaven and New Earth. XXI-XXII. 



The person who attempts to interpret the Book of 
Revelation must expect more or less difficulty in 
getting a hearing. This is especially true if he be 
unknown to the reading public. The difficulties en- 
countered in its mysterious symbolism have led many 
to look askance upon any who attempt to unravel the 
maze, except those who have a reputation for great 
learning in Biblical exposition. The last decade has 
witnessed many fresh attempts to explain the Book, 
and the present writer hopes that this is an indication 
of renewed interest on the part of many in this erst- 
while neglected portion of the Bible. 

The main reason for this modest contribution to 
the already large amount of literature on the subject, 
is the conviction in the mind of the author that all 
he had read on the subject was inadequate. He fer- 
vently believes that in this little volume that lays no 
claim to large erudition, he presents the key that un- 
locks much that has hitherto seemed mysterious and 
insoluble. This book makes no pretense to being a 
commentary in the accepted usage; no attempt is 
made to explain every word or sentence. The au- 
thor's sole aim has been to give a comprehensive out- 
line of the message of the Revelation that will reach 
the intellectual level of the ordinary wayfaring man. 
Yet he hopes that nothing really essential to a clear 
understanding of the Book has been left unsaid. 
With questions of literary criticism this book has 
nothing to do. The author believes that the Apostle 
John wrote the Revelation and the Fourth Gospel, 
and that the latter gives much assistance in the ex- 
planation of the former. The text of the Revised 
Version has been used throughout, with here and 
there preferred reading's as occasion seemed to de- 
mand. 

It is needless to say that the author has profited 
much by the work of others, and has not scrupled to 



use their ideas wherever they harmonized with his 
conception of John's plan and purpose, and while he 
has not consciously copied their mode of expression, 
he has not sought to make mere verbal changes for 
the sake of avoiding a charge of plagiarism. He 
would particularly acknowledge his indebtedness to 
Prof. Wm. Milligan for the interpretation of many of 
the details of the Revelation in his illuminating work 
on that Book in the Expositor's Bible. It is only 
fair, however, to these writers to say that perhaps 
not one of them would agree either wholly or in part- 
with the views expressed and the conclusions reached 
in the following work. 

The author has no theory to uphold, no school of 
interpretation to maintain. His sole aim of attempt- 
ing to ascertain the message of the Revelation has 
been persistently adhered to. In the scope of its 
theme, anaylsis, and general interpretation he has, so 
far as he knows, hewed out a new path. He cannot 
hope that all his statements will be accepted without 
question. At the same time, he trusts he has thrown 
some light on the problem of the Book's interpreta- 
tion. 

This little volume is therefore sent forth in the 
hope that it will prove an incentive to the study of 
this, hitherto regarded, mysterious and insoluble Book 
of Scripture ; which, in spite of its exegetical difficul- 
ties, has been a solace to many in times of trouble. 
To this end he prays that God may bless his en- 
deavors. 

T. C. B. 



PART I. 



INTRODUCTORY I-V. 
Chapter I. 
THE FOREWORD. 
Revelation i : i, 2, 3. 

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God 
gave him to shew unto his servants, even the 
things which must shortly come to pass: and he 
sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant 
John ; who bare witness of the word of God, and 
of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all 
things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, 
and they that hear the words of the prophecy, 
and keep the things which are written therein: 
for the time is at hand." 

Revelation a Neglected Book: — To the vast ma- 
jority of Bible readers the Book of Revelation is an 
insoluble enigma. This is indeed a paradox — a re- 
velation, yet an enigma. True, its symbolic and 
figurative language is unfamiliar to us. The Book 
teems with Oriental imagery that presents to the 
average Western mind very perplexing difficulties. 
As a result it has been left for the most part to the 
erudition and ingenuity of scholars. No book of 
the Bible is so little read, none so seldom used in 
pulpit ministrations. Certain sections of it, to be 
sure, have been used throughout the history of the 
Church, and are as familiar as any other portion of 
the Scriptures. The refuge which this Book provides 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



in time of trouble has always been recognized. In 
times of persecution and bereavement, no book of the 
Bible is more resorted to. This notwithstanding, to 
the great majority the Revelation is a sealed book. 

Worthy of Our Study: — The difficulty of under- 
standing it has been made an excuse for this almost 
universal neglect. But the greater the difficulty, the 
more earnest should we be in our efforts to ascertain 
its meaning. It is a part of the sacred canon, and it 
has been well said that the canon would be incomplete 
without it. It presents momentous truths. It con- 
tains the last message of the risen Christ to His 
Church. To wilfully neglect it, is to insult the Lord. 

That there is very little unanimity among inter- 
preters, is too well known for citation here. Readers 
who lay no claim to scholarship, and who come to 
the commentaries on the Revelation to get its meaning 
are often left more perplexed and bewildered. The 
present effort is modestly pursued in the hope that 
it may lead more of God's people to a study of this 
erstwhile neglected message. 

Now, it is a mere truism to say that the Book was 
designed to be understood. Its author assumes that 
his readers are familiar with his allusions. This was 
undoubtedly true of the first readers of the Revela- 
tion. It should be our aim to ascertain how they 
understood it. 

The very word by which he describes the character 
of his work ought to encourage every lover of Truth to 
strive after his meaning. "Revelation" means the un- 
veiling of that which is hidden. This is not a sealed, 
but an open book. Its author is divinely instructed 
thus : "Seal not the words of the prophecy of this 
book; because the time is at hand." (xx: 10.) 

Problem of the Book : — The Book gives the solu- 
tion of a great problem. The fundamental error has 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



been to restrict its theme to the Christian era. We 
must widen the circle until it includes the whole his- 
tory of humanity. The problem of which it treats is 
older than the author's day, older yet than the Chris- 
tian era. It involves the long period between Para- 
dise lost and Paradise regained. That problem is the 
suffering of the righteous. The age-long question is, 
Why do the righteous suffer, while the wicked flour- 
ish as a green bay-tree? The Revelation was writ- 
ten at a time when this question had become more 
acute than at any previous time in the world's history. 
Hitherto, long-suffering righteous men had looked for- 
ward to the golden ag'e to be ushered in by Messiah's 
reign. They had been content to suffer and wait. 
They were filled with hope for the ages to come. But 
now Messiah had come, and the righteous seemingly 
never suffered so before. The Church of the Lord 
Jesus Christ was between the upper and the nether 
millstones. It was persecuted by both Gentiles and 
Jews (I. 9 : ii. : 9, 10.) Christians were asking the per- 
ennial question. What is the answer? The Book of 
Revelation. The inspired author shows the relation 
of his age to preceding ages. God's people are en- 
gaged in a world-wide, age-long conflict with the 
forces of evil. The righteous of his day are contri- 
buting their part toward the final triumph of right- 
eousness. The Book of Revelation is, in short, the 
unfolding of the significant truth involved in Gen. 
iii: 15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the 
woman and between thy seed and her seed; it shall 
bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel." 

This is the Divine announcement of the age-long 
battle between Good and Evil. The persecution by 
Nero doubtless furnished the immediate background 
of the Book. Bearing this in mind, and the 
historical conflict between Good and Evil, with 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the ever recurring question, Why do the right- 
eous suffer? — the purpose of the Book of Revela- 
tion will be clear. It is a pictorial history 
of that struggle, a prophecy of the final vic- 
tory of righteousness, and an exposition of the 
means by which the victory is secured, viz. : — through 
sacrifice, which is God's method of eradicating evil. 

Subject of the Book: — Taking up this section in 
detail, we note first the subject of the Book. It is 
'The Revelation of Jesus Christ." The Book is also 
called the Apocalypse, a transcription of the Greek 
word here translated, Revelation. The only place in 
which it occurs in the Gospels is Luke ii : 32, where 
"to lighten" might be rendered "for revelation." Our 
Lord is there spoken of as a light dispelling the 
darkness which veiled the Gentiles. It occurs thirteen 
times in Paul's epistles, and three times in First Peter. 
The word is used in various senses : — IT IS THE 
UNVEILING OF SOMETHING HIDDEN. This 
is the sense in which it is used in the only instance 
in which it occurs in the Gospels, already referred to. 
Paul speaks of the Gospel as the "revelation of the 
mystery kept in silence during eternal ag'es, but now 
made manifest." (Rom. xvi: 25.) He tells the 
Ephesians that the participation by the Gentiles of the 
blessings of the new covenant was made known to 
him by "revelation." (Eph. iii: 3.) The gospel he 
preached was received "through revelation of Jesus 
Christ" (Gal. i: 12), and he went up to Jerusalem "by 
revelation." (Gal. ii: 2.) 

IT IS AN INSIGHT INTO SPIRITUAL 
TRUTH. Paul prays that Christians may have the 
"spirit of revelation." (Eph. i: 17.) The gift of reve- 
lation was enjoyed in various Christian communities in 
Apostolic times (I Cor. xiv: 6, 26), and the Apostle 
Paul enjoyed special "revelations." (2 Cor. xii: 1, 7.) 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



IS 



IT IS ALSO USED IN THE SENSE of our 
Lord's second coming. 

'That the proving of your faith, much more precious 
than gold that perishes, but is proved through fire, may 
be found unto praise and glory and honor at the reve- 
lation of Jesus Christ." (I Peter i: 7.) "Wherefore, 
girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope 
perfectly for the grace that is to be brought to you 
at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (I Peter i: 13.) 
There are other instances, but these will suffice. 

It is important that this phrase be rightly under- 
stood, for our conception of its meaning will deter- 
mine our interpretation of the whole Book. This is 
the rock on which the stream of scholarship breaks, 
and separates at least two schools of interpreters, the 
Preterist and the Futurist, as far apart as the begin- 
ning and the end of the Christian dispensation. Ac- 
cording to the Futurist scheme, it only signifies the 
Second Advent or future manifestation of Jesus 
Christ. This interpretation leaves the major portion 
of the Book yet unfulfilled. 

It is better to regard the phrase as embracing both 
the first and last senses. It means the unveiling of 
Christ, showing us the heavenly side of what in the 
Acts is the earthly. In the latter, the Christ is in- 
visible, but His works are seen on earth; in the 
Revelation we are shown the Divine workman at His 
work. He is the central Figure throughout. It is 
of Him and His oversight of the Church that the 
Book speaks. It teaches us that what Jesus began 
to do (Acts i: 1) while on earth, He continues to do 
in His exaltation. The phrase "denotes the act of 
revealing a Divine Mystery and to signify that which 
is itself revealed/' Christ is the Revealer and at the 
same time the subject of the Revelation. This view 
of the meaning of the above phrase, however, does not 



16 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

exclude the larger and ultimate teaching, namely: — 
the return of Christ in power and glory, a truth di- 
rectly stated as the consummation of the great strug- 
gle between Right and Wrong, of which the Book of 
Revelation treats, (i: 7.) 

It is "the Revelation which God gave Him." This 
does not imply the inferiority of Christ's Person and 
character, as some imagine, but sets forth His dis- 
tinctive office as Revealer of God's mysteries. "All 
things are delivered to me by my Father; and no one 
knows the Son except the Father; nor does any one 
know the Father except the Son ; and he to whom the 
Son wills to reveal Him." (Matt, xi: 27.) "No 
one has ever seen God; God only begotten, who is in 
the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him." 
(John i: 18.) Thus it is Christ Who addresses the 
seven churches (chapters ii-iii), and Who opens the 
sealed roll, (v: 7, 9.) 

God gave Christ the Revelation that He might 
"show to His (i. e., Christ's) servants, the things 
which must shortly come to pass." 

Light is about to be given here on one of life's 
greatest problems. We must by no means restrict 
the application of these words. They have a very 
wide outlook. Not only apostles and prophets are 
thought of here, but the Church of Jesus Christ in 
general. This, then, is as much a message for present- 
day Christians as for the seer himself. The question 
regarding in time in which these "things" transpire 
will be considered the the next chapter, in connection 
with the announcement of Christ's coming in i : 7. 

The Author: — There has been much discussion 
regarding the identity of the author of this Book. 
Some say it was not John the apostle, but some one 
who forged his name. There are those who say that 
it was composed by another in the apostle's name, 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 17 

not for the purpose of deception, but in order to re- 
cord an oral revelation delivered to John. Others 
again claim it is the work of another John, contem- 
poraneous with the apostle. It has been the convic- 
tion of the major portion of the Church from the 
beginning, that its author is John the apostle. For 
the first two centuries there was not a dissenting voice. 
Later, it is said for the purpose of getting rid of 
certain unpalatable doctrines, it was ascribed to Cerin- 
thus, a reputed heretic of the first century. But, as 
Edward Irving said, "if the common consent of all 
antiquity is to overturn the heady rashness of well- 
meaning but inconsiderate men of evil name, then we 
have the most satisfactory evidence that this book 
was written by John the apostle, and believed by the 
Church to be most fully inspired. Justin Martyr, 
Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, 
Jerome, Augustine, and a continued stream of ortho- 
dox authority to our day, from the age next to that 
in which it was written, concur in the reception, the 
administration, and the observance of this book." 
(Quoted by Seiss.) 

His Credentials: — Before we begin the study of 
the message proper, it were well to note how sound 
are the author's credentials. His work is "the Revela- 
tion of Jesus Christ to His servants," first to Christ's 
Angel, and through Him to John. The circumlocu- 
tory way in which the message reaches the Church 
by no means invalidates its Divine inspiration. These 
credentials are verified by Christ Himself at the very 
close of the Book. "I, Jesus, sent my angel to tes- 
tify to you these things in the churches." (xxii: 16.) 

Christ's "Angel" :— That John does not get his 
message directly from Christ, but through "His 
Angel," is a touch which should not be overlooked, for 
it teaches us the present exalted state of the Savior. 



18 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



He was once "the Man of Sorrows," but is now the 
glorified Christ, and, like Jehovah in the Old Testa- 
ment, reveals Himself through His Angel. "God 
cannot be seen by any man," and when he reveals 
Himself He does so through various media; in other 
words, He accommodates Himself to the level of 
human understanding* and spiritual qualifications. 

We need not doubt that this "Angel," Who is the 
medium of communication between the exalted Christ 
and the seer, corresponds to the "Angel of Jehovah," 
and as "Jehovah" and "the Angel of Jehovah" are 
used interchangeably in the Old Testament, so in the 
Revelation, Christ and His Angel are spoken of in 
the same manner and with the same significance. 
(See x: i.) The manner in which John received his 
commission clearly teaches the Deity of Jesus Christ 
and His equality with God. The message is received 
through the Angel, and when we come to consider 
the letters to the seven churches in chapters II and III, 
we shall learn that they are given to John by Christ 
in Person, while at the same time we are exhorted 
to hear what the "Spirit saith to the churches." 

There is no mystery here for the student of John's 
Gospel, for there Christ speaks of Himself and the 
Holy Spirit interchangeably. "I will not leave you 
orphans, I will come to you." (John xiv: 18.) The 
context shows that He was speaking of the Advent 
of the Holy Spirit. 

Some have found difficulty in the fact that this 
Angelic interposition is not directly stated until we 
reach the visions of chapter XVII. This would imply 
that only a fraction of the Book fulfils the promise of 
John's statement. But this is to be hampered by bald 
literalism. The continuous activity of the Angel 
throughout the whole of the seer's rapt experience is 
implied in the words "signified" and "saw." They 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



can only mean that the contents of the Revelation were 
made to pass in vision before the seer's gaze as if 
they were really transpiring, and the Angel forms the 
connection between John's senses and the things he 
describes. How this was done it is impossible to 
tell, but in view of John's statement in the beginning, 
and the Divine verification of that statement at the 
close, we need encounter no difficulty in referring all 
the contents of the Revelation to this Angelic inter- 
vention. To sum up, the Revelation concerns Jesus 
Christ as the Revealer of God's mysteries, delivered 
to John through Christ's Angel, and by John to the 
Church. 

The Book's Significance: — It is necessary to say 
a word or two regarding the significance of this Book. 
"Happy he that reads, and they that hear the words 
of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written 
therein." Between the lines here we may discern the 
method of conducting religious services in apostolic 
times. There was no ornate ritual, or absolutely set- 
tled order. There was a pastor presiding*, but the 
worship took on the character of what the usual 
modern mid-week meeting of the Church is. There 
was, e. g., the reading of Scripture, this mostly from 
the Old Testament, the New being only partly writ- 
ten then. Doubtless the freedom of the meeting was 
utilized by several of the worshipers for prayer, and 
songs in praise of Christ. The teaching concerning 
Him was of necessity largely oral, in view of the in- 
completeness of the New Testament. The address of 
the pastor would mostly comprise what he had heard 
about the Lord from apostle, or evangelist, or disciple. 

While the New Testament was in process of being, 
however, it was read to the assembled congregations, 
now a gospel, and again an epistle. At times an 
epistle would be sent to several churches as a circular 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



letter, like the Epistle to the Ephesians. (See Cony- 
beare & Howson's "Life and Epistles of the Apostle 
Paul.") At other times, epistles were exchanged be- 
tween the various churches. "And when this letter 
has been read among you, cause that it be read also 
in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that ye also read 
the one from Laodicea." (Col. iv: 16.) 

The method of worship just described may be dis- 
cerned in the words under discussion, A blessing is 
promised all who will pay heed to the contents of this 
Book: — the person who reads it to> the congregation, 
the listeners themselves, and all who keep, i. e., who 
profit by, the message. It would not be doing justice, 
however, to this sublime apostolic benediction to 
limit its scope to the historical occasion. Such a 
phrase, occurring in a book of confessedly universal 
application, demands that its outlook reach to all fu- 
ture time, and its blessing embrace all readers. Surely 
such a pronouncement as this ought to be an incentive 
to the study of the Revelation. A message which the 
Lord of glory thought was of sufficient moment to be 
made known to His Church by special embassage, a 
message which angels deemed it an honor to signify, 
cannot be of trifling significance. If we are interested 
in the Bethlehem manger, and in the "Man of Sor- 
rows" and His struggles with a wicked world, we 
ought surely to be interested in the narrative that 
tells of His triumphs and of His return in glory. 
"All Scripture," indeed, "is profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction and instruction in righteous- 
ness, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnish- 
ed unto all good works" (2 Tim. iii: 16), but some 
portions are especially significant and precious, and 
proper attention to these is rewarded by deeper re- 
ligious experience. Of such is this Book. It solves 
for us the problem of Evil, explains many of the 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Divine mysteries, teaches the triumph of Right, and 
pictures the joys of the redeemed. 

More than eighteen hundred years have passed since 
it was written of these things that they were "shortly 
to come to pass." Earnestly pressed to the attention 
of the early Church, how much more urgent is it 
that the Church of the present day take heed to the 
remaining thing's of which the Book speaks. Stand- 
ing on the threshold of the narration of these mo- 
mentous truths, let us bid for the blessing held out 
to those who "read" and those who "hear" and "keep 
the things that are written therein." 



Chapter II. 
THE SALUTATION. 

Revelation i :4-8. 

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia : 
Grace to you and peace, from him which is and 
which was and which is to come; and from the 
seven Spirits which are before his throne; and 
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, 
the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the 
kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and 
loosed us f rom » our sins by his blood; and he 
made us to be a. kingdom, to be priests unto his 
God and Father; to him be the glory and the 
dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, 
he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall 
see him, and they which pierced him ; and all the 



22 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even 
so, Amen. 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the 
Lord God, which is and which was and which is 
to come, the Almighty." 

Its Significance: — This Book opens differently 
from the Epistles which form so great a part of the 
New Testament Scriptures. The first Epistle of John 
and the Epistle to the Hebrews excepted, all open 
with the usual apostolic salutation. The Foreword 
of the present Book, while more elaborate, is similar 
to that of each of the Four Gospels, which with the 
Book of Acts it may in a very profound sense be said 
to supplement. As the Revelation is a special mes- 
sage direct from Christ, it were fitting that its signi- 
ficance at once be set forth. The apostle, however, 
does not omit the usual courteous introduction. Of 
all the epistolary salutations, none is more sublime 
than this, and none bears a closer relationship to the 
contents. 

"Asia": — This salutation is addressed "to the 
seven churches which are in Asia." The term "Asia" 
refers not to the continent of that name, nor yet that 
part of the continent known as "Asia Minor." ("Asia" 
was the Roman province which embraced the Western 
parts of the great peninsula, now called Asia Minor, 
including the countries Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and great 
part of Phrygia, with the Dorian, Ionian and Aeolian 
coast-cities, the Troad and the islands of the coast 
(Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Patmos, Coos, etc.) The 
name as thus used was created by the Roman admin- 
istration. The Greek geographers generally employed 
the name "Asia" to denote the whole continent; but 
the Romans, during the second century, B. C, were 
accustomed to term the Pergamenian sovereigns (with 
whom they were in close political relations) "kings of 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Asia," and when Attalus III bequeathed his kingdom 
to Rome in 133 it was formed into a province, and 
named "Asia." (W. M. Ramsay in Hastings' Bib. 
Die.) 

The phrase is instructive. Each church is ad- 
dressed separately. It is a sharp descent from the 
simple Christian organizations of apostolic times to 
the grandiose hierarchies of later days. The Scrip- 
tures do not contemplate the Christians of a particular 
country as comprising the Church of that land, but 
finds one in every community of Christians. Each 
congregation had the authority to appoint its own pas- 
tor without regard to any other congregation. "Asia" 
was under one government at the time, but the Book 
does not speak of the Christians in that territory as 
"the Church of Asia." In each of the places here 
mentioned, was a separate congregation addressed as 
"a church." These independent assemblies, or any num- 
ber of them, could lawfully join together in a more 
general organization, but not so as to lose their identity 
as separate, independent bodies. This is the original 
order of the Church, and every system which obliter- 
ates it, in so far departs from the apostolic congrega- 
tional polity. 

Religious Significance of Numbers: — The num- 
ber of churches mentioned is also important. 

Among ancient peoples a religious significance at- 
tached to numbers. It was instinctively appreciated 
that number and proportion were necessary attributes 
of the created universe. There is abundant evidence 
of this sentiment in the Old Testament. To the 
Hebrews, the number seven was sacred. Throughout 
the Scriptures it is the covenant number. It is the 
number of purification and consecration. (Lev. iv: 6, 
17; viii: 11, 33; Num. xix: 12.) "The priests compass 
Jericho seven days, and on the seventh day seven 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



times, that Israel may know that the city is given into 
their hands by God and that its conquest is a direct 
and immediate result of their covenant relation to 
Him." The Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of 
Weeks, Tabernacles, Sabbath year and the Jubilee are 
all ordered by seven, or seven multiplied by seven. 

It also occurs as a sacred number in the New Tes- 
tament. There are seven beatitudes, seven petitions 
in the Lord's Prayer, seven loaves to feed the multi- 
tude, seven words from the Cross, seven deacons in 
the Church, etc. The number seven holds a marked 
prominence in the Revelation. There are seven spirits 
before the Throne, seven stars, seven golden candle- 
sticks, seven churches, seven lamps burning before 
the Throne, seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb, 
seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls. The 
significance of all this will be seen when we consider 
the contents of chapters II and III. 

Content of the Salutation : — A word or two should 
be said concerning the substance of this salu- 
tation. "Peace be to thee," was a common mode of 
address among the ancients. Writers were accustomed 
to wish their readers every form of prosperity. 
Even today, among the people of Eastern lands, this 
is a common form of salutation. But there is some- 
thing deeper than merely temporal prosperity implied 
in John's phrase. What sufficeth all outward afflu- 
ence if there be no peace with God? And grace! 
How much all need this. We are saved by grace, "for 
by the deeds of the law shall no man be justified." 
(Rom. iii: 20, etc.) "It is a good thing that the heart 
be established with grace." (Heb. xiii: 9.) The 
New Testament conceives it to be the one source of 
human stability. Perhaps there is no word of a re- 
ligious significance oftener on the lips of Christian 
people, yet no word is less understood and appreciat- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 25 



ed. Its root meaning is favor, benignity, kindness; 
in short, the active love of God, a love that tran- 
scends all law, a love exercised not because of any 
merit on our part, but because of what God is, a love 
that it not turned away by sin, but which wells up 
from that changeless fountain — the heart of God. 

Sources of Blessing: — The sources from which 
the apostle implores this are introduced in striking 
form. No such blessings come only from God as 
God. The doctrine of the Trinity is clearly enounced 
here. Grace and peace come in the first place 
"from him who is, and who was, and who 
is to come"; that is, from the Absolute One, Who 
is the "same yesterday and' today and forever," 
Who knows no change, the infinite Father of 
lights with Whom is no variableness, nor the least 
shadow caused by turning. 

They come in the next place "from the seven 
spirits that are before his throne" ; that is, from 
the Holy Spirit viewed not so much in His individ- 
ual Personality as in His various activities, His 
manifold ministrations. The Holy Spirit is One 
sent into the world in behalf of God's Throne, 
God's impartation of Himself to men. He 
searches all things, yea, the deep things of 
God, guides the Church into the Truth, witnesses to 
the work of grace in the hearts of men, convicts the 
world of sin, and righteousness and judgment. 

There is a third from Whom grace and peace 
are implored — "from Jesus Christ." These are 
impossible except through Christ. No man knows 
the Father except he to whom the Son reveals 
Him. There is no way to the Father except 
through Christ. Neither is there salvation in any 
other Name. Though rejected by the builders He 
has become the headstone of the corner. Our be- 



26 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



ing begotten again to a living hope is "by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Our 
privileges at the Throne of Grace ,are due to the 
blood of Jesus consecrated for us that we may- 
approach God "by a new and living way." And 
if we have that peace that passeth all understand- 
ing, it is because "He is our peace." 

The order in which the Divine Persons are 
named strikes us ,at first as unusual, but the fact 
is that the Son is mentioned last because it is He 
as the manifestation of the Godhead who is mainly 
in the apostle's mind. Christ as man knows Him, sums 
up in Himself all God's revelations to mankind. This 
fact accounts for the peculiarity of the designations. 
The first is seen to be especially applicable to Christ, 
inasmuch as the New Testament elsewhere de- 
clares Him to be "the same yesterday and today 
and forever." Thus also the second — "the seven 
spirits" are the Spirit of the glorified Redeemer, 
Who said, "Lo, I am with you alway," the Spirit 
of Christ in His manifold ministrations. Hence 
not one but seven. So with the third — "Jesus 
Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the 
dead; and the ruler of the kings of the earth." In 
this designation, reference is made to the attributes 
of the Son connected with His redemptive work. 
It is Christ as such Who "loves us and loosed us 
from our sins in His own blood." This is native 
speech to "the disciple whom Jesus loved." So 
keen was the apostle's sense of unworthiness, that 
he seemed to himself to be the greatest sinner in 
the world. All others are lost sight of for the time 
being, and all he thinks of is that Jesus died for 
him, that the love of Jesus found its highest ex- 
ercise in his salvation : he being the world's great- 
est sinner, indeed as it seemed to him the only sin- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



ner in the world. But all captives of sin, loosed 
by Jesus through His sacrificial death, may join 
with the apostle in his ascription of praise. 

We are led, moreover, to see that redemption is 
something more than liberty. The "loosed" cap- 
tives are organized into a new "kingdom." They 
are a nation of freemen with their Redeemer as 
king. In this kingdom every citizen is a "priest." 
This title is very suggestive. Every saved person 
may in turn become the means of freeing other 
captives of sin. A priest is a mediator between 
God and the people. It is his privilege to draw 
near to God in their behalf. Perhaps there is no 
religious function which it is the privilege of 
Christians to exercise that has received less atten- 
tion than direct prayer to God for the uncon- 
verted. The shortest w.ay to a sinner's heart is 
that of the Throne of Grace. The Church is here 
thought of as a kingdom of priests. Her function 
is prayer. 

There was no question in John's mind respect- 
ing Christ's place in the universe. No stronger 
testimony to His Deity could be given. The ex- 
ercise of Christ's love is conceived in. terms of the 
present, past, and future. He speaks of a love 
which now is, of a cleansing from sin which has 
taken place, and of a citizenship and priesthood 
the "earnest" of which is a present reality and a 
promise and prophecy of future fulness. There- 
fore, the Church, reflecting on her past, present, 
and future mercies, raises this song of triumphant 
thanksgiving. 

Issue of the Conflict:— The return of Christ in 
power and glory is declared to 'be the outcome of 
the great struggle in which the Church is engaged. 
He who is now hidden from our view will yet ap- 



28 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 3 



pear in the glory due unto His Name. This will 
not be a glory of voluntary ascription. He will 
not be the recipient of universal admiration. On 
the contrary, He will be a very unwelcome Guest 
to all except His faithful followers. Those who 
pierced Him and all kindreds of the earth will wail 
at His coming. The tribes of the earth are like 
its kings, tribes of an ungodly world, and the 
"wailing" is like that of xviii: 9, where the same 
word is used, and where kings are described as 
weeping and wailing over guilty Babylon. 

When Christ left the earth forty days after His 
resurrection "a cloud received Him" out of the 
sight of His disciples. (Acts i: 11.) Throughout 
the succeeding centuries He has been unseen but 
not unknown of them. His promise to be with 
them has been and is still being fulfilled. Even 
in the darkest days of the Church's history, some 
few of them have had conscious sense of Christ's 
presence. The Church has never altogether lost 
sight of His promise to return. Indeed, nothing 
is more prominent in the New Testament than 
this. Scores, yea hundreds, of times is it referred 
to. Paul alone speaks of it about fifty times. The 
ordinance of the Lord's Supper has as one of its 
purposes to keep alive this truth, showing forth 
the Lord's death "till He come." A truth that is 
treated so prominently in the Scriptures should 
not be neglected by those whom it most concerns. 
The Church should be as the waiting Bride, hourly 
expecting the coming of the Bridegroom. 

His coming, though sudden, will not be in secret. 
The time is uncertain but not the fact. "Behold, 
He comes with the clouds." This denotes not the 
glory but the terror of that day. The language of 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



this verse describes the despair of sinners on that 
great occasion. "All the tribes of the earth shall 
wail over him." This is descriptive of the Oriental 
manifestation of sorrow, — smiting the breast (Luke 
xviii: 13). As He ascended a cloud intervened. 
When He returns the clouds will unfold and reveal 
Him not only to His own, but "every eye shall see 
him, and they who pierced him." The only other 
New Testament reference to the "piercing" (John 
xix: 34) indicates the common authorship of the 
Revelation and the Fourth Gospel. To His Church 
He comes as the Bridegroom: to His enemies, as 
the Judge. 

Imminence of the Consummation: — We must 
now consider the "time" in which the "things" 
comprising the Revelation are said to take place. 
This is given in verses 1 and 3, viz. : — "things which 
must shortly come to pass," and "for the time is 
at hand." It is a principle of Scripture that when 
it speaks predictively it merges several events, now 
speaking of one, and again of another. This is 
especially true of Christ's Second Coming which 
the Revelation teaches is to be the climax of the 
events therein recorded (i: 7; vi: 16; xix: 7; xxii: 

The above-mentioned principle exjplains the 
seemingly contradictory statements of the New 
Testament respecting this event, to the intent that 
now it is near; while again, it is distant. The 
writers are not contradictory nor inconsistent; but 
speak as prophets, as most prophecy has a double 
fulfilment. Its primary features are seen in the 
prophet's own day, while a larger and more signifi- 
cant fulfilment awaits the future.* The .apocalyp- 

*(E. g. Isaiah xl: 1-5. Cf. Matt, iii: 3 and parallels.) Also 
Ps. xvi: 8-10. Cf. Acts ii: 25-31. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tic element also enters into many of the predictive 
features of the Bible. Visions of events covering 
centuries pass in a moment before the gaze of the 
seer, and he records his experiences as they impress 
him apart from the considerations of time. To 
him in his vision it is as with God, namely, "a 
thousand years as a d,ay." Thus the Coming of the 
Lord is "at hand/' the whole Christian dispensa- 
tion is a "short time," while in the meantime the 
apostles and later missionaries compass sea and 
land in their efforts to carry out the "great com- 
mission" (Matt, xxviii: 18-20). 

It is wrong to pronounce Paul and other New 
Testament writers mistaken in their conception of 
this great Truth. They were seers who sometimes 
spoke in apocalyptic vein. The model for their 
statements concerning this event is Christ's escha- 
tological discourse recorded in Matt. xxiv. The 
destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on the 
one hand, and His Personal Coming on the other 
are spoken of interchangeably; as if the destruc- 
tion of the city and Temple was A coming, in 
judgment, and yet a type of the FINAL coming. 
The exact note of time was purposely omitted from 
the teachings pertaining to this event, the chief 
reason doubtless being to keep the Church pure 
and steadfast. The early Christians expected the 
Lord's return in their own day. For ages this has 
been the world's hope. This experience is exactly 
parallel with that of the patriarchs and other he- 
roes of faith, regarding the fulfilment of the Divine 
promise to Abraham. "In faith these all died, not 
having received the promises, but having seen them 
from, afar, and greeted them, and confessed that 
they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. 
But now they long for a better country, that is, a 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed of them 
to be called their God ; for He prepared for them 
a city. ,, (Heb. xi passim.) If instead of this 
temporal promise there had been granted them a 
vision of lofty SPIRITUAL attainment, the people 
who again and again longed for the fleshpots of 
Egypt could never have been induced to leave the 
land of bondage. So also, if the panorama of the 
Church's dreary history had been unrolled before 
the gaze of the first converts to Christianity, the 
gigantic efforts, that life spent as on the brink of 
eternity which characterize the days of the early 
Church, would have been impossible. 

This is not delusion. The Son of Man has been 
EVER coming. All through the succeeding cen- 
turies the promise of His Personal return has been 
seen to have deeper meaning. When, therefore, 
the author of the Revelation says that "the time 
is at hand" he refers PRIMARILY to the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, GENERALLY to every great 
crisis in history, and ULTIMATELY to the final 
Coming and consummation of the age. The 
reader will infer from this last statement our view 
of the date of authorship. We believe the Revela- 
tion was written just before the destruction of 
Jerusalem in A. D. 70. We base our opinion on 
the interpretation we give the Book as a whole. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Chapter III. 



CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST. 

Revelation i: 9-20. 

"I, John, your brother and partaker with you 
in the tribulation and kingdom and patience 
which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called 
Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony 
of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's 
day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as 
of a trumpet saying, What thou seest, write 
in a book, and send it to the seven churches; 
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto 
Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sar- 
dis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 
And I turned to see the voice which spake 
with me. And having turned I saw seven 
golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the 
candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed 
with a garment down to the foot, and girt 
about at the breasts with a gplden girdle. 
And his head and his hair were white as white 
wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as 
a flame of fire; and his feet like unto burn 
ished brass, as if it had been refined in a fur- 
nace; and his voice as the voice of many 
waters. And he had in his right hand seven 
stars : and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp 
two-edged sword: and his countenance was as 
the sun shineth in his strength. And when 
I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And 
he laid his right hand upon me, saying, tear 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



not; I am the first and the last, and the Living 
one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive 
for evermore, and I have the keys of death 
and of Hades. Write therefore the things 
which thou sawest, and the things which are, 
and the things which shall come to pass here- 
after; the mystery of the seven stars which 
thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven 
golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the 
angels of the seven churches; and the seven 
candlesticks are seven churches." 

Beginning of Revelation Proper, 

John's Temporal Status: — "Partaker with you 
in the affliction, and kingdom, and patience 
in Jesus." What a strange conjunction) of 
sentences ! This w,as a note of encouragement for 
the suffering Christians. John, too, was a sufferer 
for his testimony of Christ, but in the midst of his 
tribulation he did not forget that he was in the 
"kingdom" and could afford to patiently wait for 
the deliverance to be effected by his Lord; and as 
he was their "brother" they might be comforted 
with him. Tradition agrees with John's statement 
that he was banished by the Roman authorities 
to the Isle of Patmos on account of his faith. 

The statement with which John begins his 
account of this vision is not without significance 
for us. It implies the chief characteristics of the 
Christian confession in apostolic days; namely, 
a common brotherhood in Christ, a common cross- 
bearing, yet withal a common citizenship in the 
heavenly kingdom, the "earnest" of which was 
already a common experience. This serves 
to show how far our Christianity answers to the 



34 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Christianity of those days, and teaches us that in so 
far as these characteristics belong to us, we share 
this same common brotherhood. This is the true 
apostolic succession. 

His Spiritual Status: — But although John is an 
exile, his persecutors cannot chain his spirit. 
Lifted above his surroundings by an unseen power 
the seer describes a glorious vision and gives the 
secret of it. 

He was "in the Spirit." This is not mere ecstacy, 
but the instance of a man completely dom- 
inated by the Spirit of God. He is drawn close to 
the eternal verities : therefore he heard, and con- 
sequently was divinely commissioned to write what 
he saw and send it to the seven churches. The 
same statement is repeated in iv: 2. John's ex- 
perience is full of instruction : — first the attitude 
of the servant, then the vision, and finally the com- 
mission and message. It is invariably so (cf. I Cor. 
ii: 10-14). 

The "Lord's Day":— What was "the Lord's 
Day?" As usual with interpreters, there is no 
unaniminity of opinion. Some very eminent stu- 
dents of the Book: interpreting literally, claim it 
was Sunday. Others would make it "the day of 
the Lord," i. e., the end of the age, the time of the 
consummation. This is the view of those who in- 
terpret on the Futurist system. Regarding the 
Book as altogether concerned with the Apocalypse, 
or Second Coming, of Christ, they explain this as 
the Judgment Day; that John was projected in 
this vision to the end of time, and that the things 
he saw relate to the consummation. It must be 
borne in mind that we are dealing with a book 
abounding in symbols and metaphors, that the con- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 35 

tents of the book are an unfolding, as we hope 
later to show, of the germinal truths contained 
in the first chapter. It is, therefore, more in keep- 
ing with the general tenor of the Revelation to 
interpret "the Lord's Day" as the whole period 
in which the things narrated were passing in vision 
before the seer's gaze. 

The Trumpet-like Voice: — In this exalted spirit- 
ual condition the first thing that arrested his at- 
tention was "a great voice, as of a trumpet." It 
is at least coincidental, if nothing more, that when 
God revealed Himself on Mount Sinai the silence 
was broken by the "voice of a trumpet, exceeding 
loud." (Ex. xix: 16.) Each day as the Temple 
service began the great door was opened .at the 
sound of the trumpet. The year of Jubilee was 
ushered in by the same token. And Paul tells us 
that when the Lord returns in power and glory, 
the silence of the tomb will be broken by "the 
voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God ; and 
the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we shall be 
changed." (I Cor. xv: 52) (I Thess. iv: 16). In 
the present instance, the sound of the trumpet was 
intended to fix the attention of the seer and im- 
press him with the importance of what was to be 
revealed to him. Turning he saw seven golden 
lampstands, which ,are explained to him as repre- 
senting the churches to which he is commissioned 
to write. The teaching of this symbol is plain. 
"The seven lampstands are the seven churches/' 
These in turn represent the Church universal, 
though we must reserve our proof of this for the 
next chapter. 



36 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



The Lampstands: — The Church is established to 
give light. But John does not linger to describe 
the lampstands, for there is something more here 
that attracts his attention. In the midst of the 
lampstands stood the Light of the World, the Lord 
of the Church. This scene teaches us the relation 
between Christ and His Church. The light she 
sheds she reflects from Him. A few sentences 
from Christ's recorded utterances will present this 
truth very clearly. Of Himself He said, "I am 
the light of the world" (John viii: 12). Of His 
disciples, and they were the nucleus of His Church 
for all time, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matt, 
v: 14). But this was not intended as a makeshift, 
a contingent provision in view of His approaching 
death. The Church was instituted to perpetuate 
His work it is true, but the Light of the World 
was not transferred to the Church at His death 
and extinguished in Him. For listen again: "As 
long as I am in the world I am the light of the 
world" (John ix: 5). But He left the world soon 
after those words were uttered. Did the Light 
then go out? Does His Church now shine by her own 
inherent light? No, for "Lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world" (Matt, xxviii: 20). 
She shines only when she is in the focus of the 
true Light. 

The Champion of Righteousness: — But the seer 
hastens to describe the Person in the midst of the 
lampstands. This description of Christ involves 
a hint regarding the character of the Book of Rev- 
elation, namely, that it is a symbolical delineation 
of the conflict between righteousness and evil. 
Here is John's description of the Champion of 
righteousness. When he comes to mention the 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Dramatis Persona of the opposing side, we shall 
see his portrayal of the champion of evil. 

The essentially Divine character of the "Captain 
of the Lord's host," has already been described (i: 4, 
6). There John's presentation of Christ is de- 
signed to imbue with patience the suffering Church : 
here, it is as the Champion of His Church mili- 
tant, the Church in active conflict with the evil forces 
of the world, that He comes forth, and the apostle 
therefore emphasizes the humanness of our Lord's 
Person. He is "one like unto the Son of Man." 
In the same way He is described in the visions 
of Daniel, and in Christ's own discourses concern- 
ing Himself. But to guard us against conceiving 
Him as a mere man, though the greatest, the Scrip- 
tures describe Him as "one LIKE unto the Son 
of Man." The word "like" redeems the situation 
and sends us on a scent of something higher than 
humanity, though He has everything in common 
with it. "Made in the likeness of men," and "in 
all respects made like unto his brethren." He is 
yet "the Word made flesh," — "God manifested in 
the flesh." Comparing this description with the 
general character of the Fourth Gospel, we find 
the order reversed. There, Jesus clothed as He 
is with humanity, is yet the Son of God; while 
here, retaining His Divinity, He is yet pre-emin- 
ently the Son of Man. 

His Offices: — The long garment with the girdle 
at the breasts indicates His Priestly activity. He 
is represented as engaged in the active service of 
the sanctuary. He is our Great High Priest that 
has passed into the heavens. But He is more than 
this. The particulars of this description indicate 
His Kingship also, and represent Him as in a mili- 



38 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



tant attitude. Indeed, this is the chief aspect in 
which He appears before John in this vision. He 
wields a sword, a mark of sovereignity and judicial 
power. In its primary .application we have to do 
here with the Lord and Judge of the Church. In 
His exercise of the Judicial prerogative, judgment 
must begin at the House of God (I Pet. iv: 17). 
Throughout the course of the visions His royal 
majesty is manifest as Judge of the world. The 
prophet Isaiah spoke of Him thus: — "I will clothe 
him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy 
girdle, and I will commit thy government into his 
hand" (Isa. xxii: 21). 

But we cannot pass over the particulars of this 
description without ,a further word. The Son of 
Man "is in the midst of the lampstands." Christ 
dwells in His Church. His last words spoken on 
earth to His disciples were "Lo I am with you 
alway." That the whole Church might know and 
feel the power of His presence He declared that 
"where two or three are gathered together in My 
Name there am I in the midst of them" (Matt, xviii: 
20). This is not a promise to COME to the two or 
three. It is the assurance that He is ALREADY 
THERE, The "two or three" are a part of His 
Church in the organic sense, just as a landlocked 
harbor is a part of the vast ocean. Christ is pres- 
ent in all His Churches. There is not ,a member 
that He does not see and know. We may say in 
some sense of every Christian meeting, "The Lord 
is there." 

His Lineaments): — <"His head and His hairs 
were white, as white wool, as snow." In Daniel's 
vision, the "Ancient of Days" has a garment "white 
as snow, and the hair of his head like pure 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



wool." The Scriptures tell us that "the hoary 
head is a crown of glory." The contrast between 
the humanity of Christ and this symbolic aspect 
of eternity should not be missed. It is a way of 
showing that the Eternal Word was made flesh. 
Christ does not appear "as the historical person- 
age who died before He reached His fortieth year, 
but as a Divine Person invested with the symboli- 
cal attributes of eternity." 

"And His eyes were ,as a flame of fire." Christ 
is able to look beneath the surface of things. He 
knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. "Man 
looketh on the outward appearance, but God look- 
eth on the heart." Here, then, is a burning, all- 
penetrating intelligence, the power to read secrets 
and to bring all hidden things to light. An apos- 
tate church might say, "I am rich and have need 
of nothing" (iii: 17) but He who has the "eyes 
of fire" sees that it is wretched and naked and 
poor and miserable and blind. "All things are 
naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom 
we have to do" (Heb. iv: 13). 

"And his feet like burnished brass, as if it were 
glowing in a furnace." Every feature of this de- 
scription is calculated to strike the beholder with 
awe. As the Champion of Righteousness He will 
tread down the wicked. This metal heated unto 
whiteness presents the thought of purity and holi- 
ness, and it is upon these feet that He walks among 
the churches, which to those who love Him are 
beautiful. 

"And his voice as the voice of many waters." 
Here converge the many streams of God's revela- 
tion to men. "God who ,at sundry times and in 
divers manners spake in times past unto the fath- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



ers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken 
unto us by His Son" (Heb. i: i). Not only so 
but He continues to speak as the supreme au- 
thority. He is God's final revelation. All au- 
thoritative religious utterances converged in Him 
and He speaks with the cumulative force of all 
God's revelations to men. All through the cen- 
turies He has been calling men out of the tombs 
of their dead selves, and Himself has said that the 
day is approaching "in which all that are in the 
graves will hear His voice and shall come forth; 
they that did good, to the resurrection of life, and 
they that practiced evil, to the resurrection iof 
judgment" (John v: 28, 29). 

Effect of Vision on John: — The impression this 
vision makes on John is characteristic of all such 
experiences. "When I saw Him I fell at his feet 
as dead." Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Paul all knew 
the force of this. Men as brave as lions in the 
presence of danger, or without the least sign of 
perturbation when brought before kings, are left 
without strength by a spiritual appearance. A 
common reverence for the spiritual is inwrought 
in our natures. Christ assured John by laying His 
right hand on him, saying, "Fear not," and com- 
missioning him to "Write therefore the things 
which thou sawest, and the things which are, and 
the things which are about to take place after 
these." 

Range of John's Commission: — This is a hint of 
the range of John's subject. In a general way he 
is commanded to write of the past, present and 
future. It is a mistake, however, to suppose that 
these divisions mark chronological sequence. Some 
teach that "the things which are" signify the char- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



acter of what John has seen. They would thus 
make the contents of the second and third chapters 
cover the whole of the Christian dispensation with 
the remainder of the Book awaiting its fulfilment 
until "after the Church has been taken out of the 
world" (sic). "The things which must take place after 
these" (iv: i) are the same as those of (i: 19) 
" which are about to take place" (Compare i: 1, 
"things which must shortly come to pass.") All 
these phrases have practically the same meaning, 
though the two former amplify the latter general 
statement, showing that John is to declare the 
bearing of the struggle between good and evil in 
his day on the general conflict. 

Importance of Chapter I : — Thus in this first chap- 
ter of the Revelation are given the Divine and 
human aspects of our Lord. The Church is also 
presented in a double light in Christ's explana- 
tion of "the mystery of the seven stars and the 
golden lampstands." Her heavenly and earthly 
counterparts are involved in this dual description 
of her Lord, but so closely related is this closing 
verse of Chapter I to the contents of Chapters II 
and III that the explanation will be reserved for 
our next chapter as giving a better opportunity in 
connection with our study of the epistles to the 
seven churches. 

The importance of the first chapter of the Revela- 
tion cannot be overestimated, for it holds the key to 
the interpretation of all that follows. All the truths 
developed in the body of the Book germinate here. 
The Divine status of Christ, His place in the universal 
conflict between good and evil, the position of the 
Church and the relationship existing between her and 
Christ are all clearly set forth in this first chapter. 



42 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

Author's Method: — Furthermore, we are given 
an insight into John's method of treating his subject. 
His tendency to divide his matter into three parts 
cannot have escaped our notice. Examples of this 
tendency are: — "Who bare witness of the word of 
God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever things 
he saw" (verse 2), "Grace to you, and peace, from 
Him who is, and who was, and who is to come," — 
"and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first- 
born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the 
earth" (verses 4 and 5) 

"Write, therefore, the things which thou sawest, 
and the things which are, and the things which are 
about to take place after these" (verse 19). 

These are not trivial matters, — nothing is trivial in 
the Revelation — for they indicate the way to a true 
understanding of the Book. We shall have occasion 
again to call attention to this tendency. 

Theology of Revelation: — Regard must be paid 
to the theology of the Revelation. Here in this 
chapter are the root ideas of the various manifesta- 
tions of the Godhead recorded in the course of the 
narrative. We have already noticed the synonymity 
of the Persons mentioned in the Salutation (verses 
4-8). In verse 8, it is the Lord God Who speaks. 
But in verse 17 the very same assumption is made by 
the Son of Man. Here surely is co-equality, and with 
what is said of the Spirit in verse 4, we have suffi- 
cient data upon which to build the doctrine of the 
Trinity. Throughout our study of the Revelation, we 
must bear in mind the germinal truths of the first 
chapter. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Chapter IV. 
THE LORD'S HOST. 

Having given a description of the "Captain," the 
Book proceeds to describe "the Lord's host," its pur- 
pose being to trace the fortunes of this host — its 
struggles with the world and its victory. Chapters 
II-III, comprising the epistles to the seven churches 
of Asia, teach us what the Church is in her combined 
spiritual and worldly features. We may believe that 
in each epistle reference is made to the actual con- 
ditions existing. Any other view would convey a 
false idea of the principles on which the Apocalypse 
is based, and the epistles would be unintelligible to 
those to whom the Revelation was primarily address- 
ed. The lights and shadows, the virtues and the vices 
of those churches are all presented in this picture. 

The Church Universal: — It is therefore our pur- 
pose now to show that although a specific number of 
churches are named, and attention is called to condi- 
tions that are obviously local, yet there are several 
reasons why we should regard this section as a pic- 
ture of the Church universal. 

Each Letter a Message to the Churches: — First, 
it is to be observed that each epistle, in addition to 
what the glorified Lord says to the particular church 
named, also contains a message from the SPIRIT to 
the "churches" i. e., all the seven churches are ad- 
dressed in each epistle. This fact is significant as 
teaching that the conditions complained of, or the 
virtues praised, are not restricted to that particular 
locality, but are applicable to the seven churches at 
the same time. 



44 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

Basis of Selection: — Furthermore, there is every 
reason to believe that there were more churches in 
this region than the seven named in the narrative. 
Mention is made by one of the early fathers, of 
churches at Magnesia and Tralles. It is said that 
Colossae and Hierapolis suffered from an earthquake 
shortly after the days of Paul, but it is by no means 
certain that there were no churches in these places 
when the Apostle John wrote his Apocalypse. He 
cannot have intended all the churches of that locality, 
but seven are chosen from among them because 
their condition afforded the best typical repre- 
sentation of the universal Church. All seven phases 
of Church life as they are presented here, are seen 
at one time or another in the history of that institu- 
tion. 

The earliest commentator on the Apocalypse whose 
work, though only in fragments, has come down to us, 
Victorinus, says that what is addressed to one church 
is addressed to all, and that the "seven churches" 
mean the Church catholic. This view has been gen- 
erally adopted. It certainly appears reasonable. It 
is otherwise inexplicable why seven and only seven 
and these particular seven were chosen to be the 
subject of the seven epistles. Seven is the number 
of fulness, and gives the key to the true significance 
of these churches, assigning to them the unmistakable 
character of COMPLETENESS. Let it be remem- 
bered that we are dealing with a book abounding in 
symbols. The numbers and figures have each a dis- 
tinct meaning. The "seven churches'' represent the 
Church of Christ from the time John wrote until the 
end. 

Argument from Descriptions of Speaker: — It is 

also to be observed that the description of the Speaker 
is in every instance taken from the vision of Christ 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



in Chapter I. These descriptions are no doubt fuller 
and more elaborate than in the vision, but this is 
easily accounted for by the fact that the seven different 
delineations of our Lord in Chapters II and III are 
in Chapter I combined. So, even where the likeness 
is not at once apparent, this consideration points to the 
incontestable evidence that the germ of each descrip- 
tion is found in the original vision of Chapter I. 

Inasmuch therefore as certain parts of the 
epistles together represent the complete descrip- 
tion of the Son of Man, it is a legitimate inference 
that the epistles themselves are portions of one 
whole. 

First and Last Salutations. — But this argument 
is further strengthened by an examination of the 
salutations in the first .and last epistles. They are 
so general as to preclude the notion that their 
significance is exhausted when applied respectively 
to Ephesus and Laodicea. The description of 
Christ in the epistle of Ephesus is, "He that hold- 
eth the seven stars in His right hand, He that 
walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- 
sticks." (ii: i.) There is nothing in this that is more 
peculiarly applicable to Ephesus than to any other of 
the seven churches named. Thus also in the epistle to 
Laodicea, Christ describes Himself as "the Amen, the 
faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the Crea- 
tion of God." (iii : 14.) 

A brief explanation of the various appellations con- 
tained in this last, will show the relevancy of the dis- 
cussion to the subject in hand. The first of these 
titles is evidently derived from Isaiah lxv : 16, where 
the phrase, "God of Truth" (Hebrew Amen. Rev. 
Ver. Margin) occurs twice. As applied to Christ, it 
means not that all the Divine promises shall be ac- 
complished BY Him, but that He in Himself IS the 



46 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



fulfilment of every promise God has made to His peo- 
ple. The second title is an echo of Christ's own words 
to Pilate, "To this end have I been born, and to this 
end have I come into the world that I should bear wit- 
ness unto the truth." (John xviii : 37.) In these words 
Christ sums up His Mission as one of "witness- 
ing." He is the faithful, the true Witness to eter- 
nal truth in its deepest and most comprehensive 
sense. The third title cannot be restricted to the mate- 
rial creation as though it were merely an echo of 
the statement that "by the Word were all things 
made." (John i : 3, 10.) The statement of Chapter 
I, verse 5, will help us here. There we have the 
phrase, "The faithful Witness, and the First-be- 
gotten of the dead." There can be no doubt that 
it is the new creation that is referred to in this 
third appellation, the redeemed humanity which 
has its true life in Christ. 

We cannot escape the conviction that inasmuch 
as these terms have a general aspect, we have a 
proof that the first and last epistles are not simply 
members of a continuous series the first of which 
would be far behind the last, but r,ather that these 
bind together all seven epistles. 

Recurrence of Expressions. — Again, these epistles 
contain many expressions whose meanings can be 
explained only when we find them again in later 
chapters of the Book, where there is no doubt that 
the seer is speaking of the Church Universal. The 
"tree of life" of the first epistle meets us again in 
greater detail in the description of the new Jeru- 
salem, (xxii: 2.) The "second death" of the second 
epistle is explained for us in the complete over- 
throw of the Church's enemies, (xx: 6; xxi: 8.) The 
"new name" given to believers, referred to in the 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



Third Epistle, we can understand better when 
reference is once more made to it in the case of 
the one hundred forty-four thousand on Mount 
Zion. (xiv: I.) The "authority over the nations'' 
and the gift of the "morning star" spoken of in the 
Fourth Epistle are unintelligible to us until we 
meet the same things again in the vision of the 
thousand years. (xx.) The "white garments" 
of the Fifth Epistle we again see in the white- 
robed company before the Throne of God. (vii: 9- 
16.) In the Sixth Epistle mention is made of "the 
city of my God, the new Jerusalem which cometh 
down out of heaven from My God." (iii: 12.) We 
read of her descent in Chapter XXI, Verse 2. 
Finally, the "sitting in Christ's Throne," of the 
Seventh Epistle, is explained by the reign of the 
saints with Christ, (xx: 4, 6.) 

Symbolism. — This view of the seven epistles as 
a "unity in diversity" is confirmed by the symbol- 
ical character of the Book of Revelation. The 
first chapter is unanimously acknowledged to be 
symbolical. It is just as unanimously admitted 
that from the fourth chapter onwards we also have 
symbolical teaching. While it is not impossible to 
have introduced between these two groups of sym- 
bols a section dealing with the literal, yet in view 
of the general character of the Book it is very im- 
probable. No other view preserves the unity of the 
Book. Therefore, in concluding this discussion, 
we again assert that Chapters II and III represent 
the one Universal Church. The glorified Lord has 
selected certain churches with whose condition the 
apostle is most familiar, which afTord him an illus- 
tration of the state of God's Kingdom in the world. 
Here he is to find the great theme of his prophecy. 



48 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



The seer takes his stand on a lofty viewpoint and 
scans the world's history that he might ascertain 
the bearing of this revelation on what has gone 
before, in order to set forth the relation of the suf- 
fering of the righteous in his day to that of all 
those who in every age of the world have suffered 
for righteousness' sake and to show the issue of it 
all in the triumph of righteousness. 

From this altitude he sees the Church of all ages 
spread out before him, and throughout his narrative 
keeps in view as recurring 1 in the course of the cen- 
turies those aspects of Church life which he has de- 
scribed as existing in his day. Enough has now been 
said to show that these epistles were not sent sep- 
arately, nor were they intended to be read separately, 
but have each a representative, and all together a com- 
plete, character. 

II. 

Spiritual and Worldly Elements. — The spiritual 
and worldly elements of the Church as portrayed in 
Chapters II and III now demand our attention. It 
will be observed that these seven epistles are divided 
into two parts by the position of the recurring state- 
ment, "He that hath an ear," etc. In the first three 
this statement precedes the promise to those who 
overcome, whereas in the last four the order is re- 
versed. In a book as skilfully arranged as the Reve- 
lation, every such change is significant and must have 
some bearing on the teaching. 

In the first place attention must be called to the 
fact that the best attested readings omit from the 
second and third epistles the words "I know thy 
works." The inference is that this statement in the 
first epistle suffices for the other two also, thus form- 
ing one group. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



When we come to consider the condition of these 
three churches we will find that they differ very radi- 
cally from the other four. In the latter a distinction 
is drawn between the various churches as such and 
the faithful remnants within their borders ; whereas, 
in the former, all, or nearly all, are on the Lord's side. 

In the first three the Church is represented as hav- 
ing resisted the encroachments of the world. The 
charge brought agkinst the Church at Ephesus, that 
she has "left her first love/' does not invalidate this 
position, for the Church as she actually exists in the 
world can never be wholly free from sin, and the do- 
ings of the heretical sect within the Church in 
Ephesus are as reprehensible to her as they are to 
her Lord. There is no reproach whatever against 
Smyrna. The environment of the Pergamum Church 
is confessedly precarious, and no serious charge is 
brought against her either. Her Lord, it is true, has 
"a few things" against her because she sheltered 
within her borders "men holding the teaching of 
Balaam" and "of the Nicolaitans," but the threat of 
destruction is made against them rather than against 
the Church. In none of these epistles of the first 
group is the Church faultless, but in none has she 
yielded to the influences of the world. 

It is very different, however, with the second group. 
It is a striking fact that in the very first epistle of 
this groun, Thyatira, we meet again with the sins 
sooken of in the epistles to Ephesus and Pergamum. 
Thyatira TOLERATED "the woman Jezebel." 
Ephesus "hated" the works of the Nicolaitans, Per- 
gamum seemed helpless to prevent them, but Thyatira 
in her united membership seemed indifferent to those 
pernicious influences that were destroying her spir- 
itual life. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Nothing better can be said of Sardis, who had a 
name to live but was dead. There were but a "few 
names who had not defiled their garments." While 
no charge is brought against the Church in Philadel- 
phia, it is evident that the membership was composed 
largely of "the synagogue of Satan," and the faith- 
ful remnant within her is encouraged by the promise 
of the Lord to "keep her from the hour of trial. " 
The words "hold fast that which thou hast" imply 
the desperate straits of the faithful. It is this rem- 
nant that, in the Lord's estimation, comprises the 
real Church in Philadelphia. Last of all, Laodicea 
is simply intolerable. Her judgment is immediately to 
take place unless she repents. Thus is it seen that 
while in the first group practically all are faithful, in 
the last we have distinct traces of a faithful remnant 
only. 

III. 

Heavenly and Earthly Counterparts : — The heav- 
enly and earthly counterparts of the Church as cor- 
responding 1 to the Divine and human aspects of her 
Lord in Chapter I, must now be considered. This 
bears directly on the question of the unity of the 
Revelation. These dual features of the Church are 
revealed in i : 20 and amplified, now one and again 
the other, in various connections throughout the 
Book. (See on iv-v, vii, xiv, xix and xxi-xxii.) We 
desire to show that both these aspects are closely 
merged in Chapters II and III by calling attention to 
the form of the salutation addressed to the Church in 
Ephesus, viz. : — "These things saith He Who holds the 
SEVEN STARS in His right hand, He Who walks 
in the midst of the SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLE- 
STICKS." (ii: 1.) To understand the significance 
of this description we must compare it with the 
account in Chapter I. While it is briefer in form it 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 51 

yet contains the gist of that vision. But the vision 
of Chapter I contains an emphatic touch which will, 
without a doubt, confirm the view now advocated, 
and throw light on other features of these epistles. 
Christ is spoken of as the "sun" ("His countenance 
was as the sun shineth in his strength"). (i:i6.) 
The churches (to keep the parallelism) are repre- 
sented by the "stars." These are the heavenly 
aspects. He also is the Son of Man standing in 
the midsts of the candlesticks. The "Son of Man" 
and the "candlesticks" bespeak the earthly features 
of Christ and the Church respectively. 

But should objection be raised to the interpre- 
tation just given of i: 16 as somewhat strained, the 
dual principle on which the whole vision is inter- 
preted is not in the least impaired. The description 
of Christ in i: 4-5 is the heavenly aspect, and that 
of "one like unto the Son of Man," the earthly. 
Thus the parallelism between "Him Who is to 
come" and the "stars" on the one hand, and the 
"Son of Man" with the "seven candlesticks" on the 
other, is maintained. 

The "Angels" of the Churches : — Involved in this 
explanation is the proper interpretation of the 
"angels" of the seven churches. Here the Speak- 
er's explanation of "the mystery of the seven stars" 
(i:2o) will help us. These "angels" have been the 
subject of much discussion, and various interpre- 
tations have been given, which to our mind are 
inadequate and entirely out of harmony with the 
character ,and plan of the Book. Who, or what, 
are they? 

Not Individuals: — Without taking time and space 
to present the many views that have been ex- 
pressed, we wish to say at once that they are not 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



angels proper, neither "bishops" nor "ministers." 
No individuals of any sort are spoken of here. "The 
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," 
(i: 20), and if, as we believe, the "stars" represent 
the heavenly aspect of the Church, then the "angels" 
also must stand for the same phase of Church life. 

The messages are directed to the churches in 
their heavenly and earthly aspects, and, true to the 
symbolic principle, "angels" are addressed as giving 
the churches a personal character. This view is 
consistent with the terminology of the epistles. 
It is the whole church and not a single individual, 
though he be the leader, that is addressed when 
the Speaker says, "I know thy works," or "I know 
thy afflictions," etc. 

Other "Angels": — This interpretation is further 
strengthened by various references throughout the 
•Book. Not only the seven churches, but the 
"abyss" and the "waters" have their "angels," also, 
(ix: 11; xvi: 5.) God proclaims and executes His 
will by ".angels." He addresses even the Son by 
an angel, (xiv: 15.) The very opening of the Book 
represents Jesus Christ as revealing His message 
to John through His angel. In view of these ex- 
amples it is impossible to escape the conviction 
that the "angel" and the thing which it predicates 
are identical, with this distinguishing feature, that 
"the 'angel' is interposed when the persons or 
things spoken of are represented as coming out of 
themselves and as taking their part in intercourse 
or action." 

If the above explanation of the dual aspect is 
correct (and it surely harmonizes with the plan of 
the First Chapter of the Revelation), then all three 
figures, stars, angels, and candlesticks, are used 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 53 

synonymously. It may help the reader if this were 
put in the inverse order. The seven candlesticks 
(earthly aspect of the churches) are the seven- 
stars (heavenly aspect), and Christ's explanation 
of the "stars" is that they are the "angels" of the 
churches; or, to put this inversely also, the "angels" 
are the "stars." 

Therefore, the messages are addressed not to 
any single individual in heaven or earth, but to the 
churches, which in their aggregate represent the 
Church of all time. They can be spoken of ,as mes- 
sages to the "ANGELS of the churches" in accord- 
ance with the dual features in which the Church is 
so often contemplated in this Book. Thus the 
"angel" predicates the heavenly aspect, while the 
name of the church to which the special message 
is addressed, predicates the earthly. The objection 
that we have "a manifest confusion of symbols" 
does not hold if we bear in mind the two points of 
view from which the Church is regarded in these 
chapters. 



Chapter V. 
THE LORD'S MESSAGES. 

Correspondence between Description and Action: 

— It must now be observed that the descriptions of 
the Speaker correspond with the special messages of 
the epistles. Thus, in the epistle to Ephesus, Christ 
represents Himself as "He who holds the seven stars 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 3 



in his right hand, He who walks in the midst of the 
seven golden candlesticks/' and warns her that un- 
less she repents He will remove the candlestick out 
of its place. It implies the ease with which He could 
remove any or all of the candlesticks as He walks 
among them. 

In the epistle to Smyrna He is "the first and the 
last who became dead and lived again/' Thus He ex- 
horts this Church to be "faithful unto death," and the 
overcomer shall not be hurt by the "second death." 

To the Church in Pergamum He reveals the two- 
edged sword and threatens to use it unless she 
repents. 

To the Church in Thyatira He describes Himself 
as "the Son of God, Who has His eyes as a flame of 
fire." His special message is that He "SEARCHES" 
with these "eyes," "reins and hearts" and rewards ac- 
cording to works. 

In the epistle to Sardis He has "the seven spirits 
of God and the seven stars." The Church is exhorted 
to watch or He will "come as a thief" and she shall 
not know the hour of His coming. The correspond- 
ence may not appear to be as clear in this epistle as 
in others, but a correspondence there surely is. 
"Spirit" is something* mysterious, intangible. Like 
the wind, we know not whence it comes nor whither 
it goes. Stars, too, suddenly appear, and as sud- 
denly, so to speak, withdraw their shining. Thus 
the Speaker illustrates the imminence of His com- 
ing, its mysteriousness and suddenness. 

He describes Himself to the church in Philadel- 
phia as "the Holy, the True, He Who has the key 
of David, Who opens and no man shall shut, and 
shuts and no one opens." The message to this 
church plainly corresponds with this description, 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



"I have set before thee a door opened which no one 
can shut." 

Finally, the Church of Laodicea is to know Him 
as the "Amen, the faithful and true witness, the 
beginning of the creation of God." The meaning 
of this expression was given when we considered 
the relation of the "seven churches" to the Church 
Universal. It represents Him as the Head of the 
new humanity that has its true life in Him. The 
Laodicean Church said of herself, "I am rich and 
have need of nothing" : Christ said that she "was 
wretched and poor," etc., and counsels her to buy 
of Him "gold refined by fire." This she must do if 
she is to be a part of the new Creation. 

Promise to the Overcomer: — In every epistle 
also there is a promise to those who "overcome." 
These promises cover a wide field. Thus that to Ephe- 
sus, "I will give to eat of the tree of life," suggests 
Eden. The promise to Smyrna " * * * 
shall not be hurt by the second death," that of 
deliverance from the power of sin. A word of ex- 
planation may be necessary here. We will meet the 
expression "second death" again when its meaning 
will be more fully disclosed. It may, therefore, 
suffice at present to say that the "second death" 
has reference to moral disintegration. The Scrip- 
tures speak of the unregenerate as "dead in tres- 
passes ,and sins" (Eph. ii: 15) : the "second death" 
is this state intensified, the state in which sin has 
complete mastery over its victim. The promise to 
the overcomer in this epistle is that he shall be de- 
livered from this fate. 

The promise to those in Pergamum who over- 
come has reference to the wilderness experience of 



56 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



the ancient Israelites, "I will give of the hidden 
manna/' 

The reward to be given those in Thyatira who 
triumph is rulership over the nations — the king- 
dom. Perhaps there is here an echo of our Lord's 
words to His disciples: "Fear not, little flock, it 
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the 
kingdom." (Luke xii:32.) 

The overcomer in Sardis will be "clothed in white 
garments." White is an emblem of purity, and we 
may regard this as a figure of Christian consecra- 
tion. 

The epistle to Philadelphia promises the over- 
comer citizenship in the heavenly commonwealth. 
He will be an inhabitant of the new Jerusalem. 

Lastly, to those in Laodicea who> overcome is 
promised likeness to Christ. This is the ultimate 
blessing. "It doth not yet appear what we shall 
be, but we 'know that when He shall appear we 
shall be like him." (I John iii:2.) Associating 
with Him, supping with Him, "seeing Him as He 
is," they will become like him in character and sta- 
tion. "I will give to him to sit down with Me in 
My Throne." 

Here then is compassed the whole life of human- 
ity from the garden of Eden to Paradise restored. 
This broad sweep of vision deepens our conviction 
that we have not misstated the purpose of this 
Book, viz: — to show the progress and the outcome 
of the universal conflict between Good and Evil. 

The Author's Artistic Skill: — Our study thus far 
ought to convince us that the Revelation was writ- 
ten with a conscious, artistic purpose. Here is dis- 
played the author's high order of poetic instinct 
and skill, together with the orderly arrangement of 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 57 

his material, which will become more manifest as 
the plan of the Book opens to the mind. 

Purpose of the Epistles: — But why these ad- 
dresses to the churches? The answer is plain. 
There must be no coldness, no fickleness, no indif- 
ference, no compromise, no dead formalism, nor re- 
ligious tepidity in the Church. She is the Bride of 
Christ. Judgment must begin at the house of God. 
In this contest between Righteousness and Un- 
righteousness, the forces that stand for righteous- 
ness must themselves be pure. 

Having seen what these epistles are in their en- 
tirety, let us briefly glance at each in its order. Our 
object is not to give a detailed exegesis, but merely 
gather up the general ideas each letter contains, 
showing their relation to the Book's universal 
theme. 

ONE. EPHESUS LETTER. 

Revelation ii : 1-7. 

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write : 

These things saith he that holdeth the seven 
stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the 
midst of the seven golden candlesticks: I 
know thy works, and thy toil and p,atience, and 
that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst 
try them which call themselves apostles, and 
they are not, and didst find them false; and 
- thou hast patience and didst bear for my 
name's sake, and hast not grown weary. But I 
have this against thee, that thou didst leave 
thy first love. Remember therefore from 
whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the 



58 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



first works; or else I come to thee, and will 
move thy candlestick out of its place, except 
thou repent. -But this thou hast, that thou 
hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I 
also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear 
what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him 
that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of 
the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. 

Ephesus was the metropolis of Ionia, a cosmo- 
politan city having the advantages and disadvan- 
tages common to such a community. The wealthy 
and the learned were there, as well as the poor and 
illiterate. The history of the planting of the 
Church in Ephesus is recorded in Acts xviii: 19; 
xix. The Apostle Paul, on his arrival in the city, 
went, according to his custom, to the synagogue, 
and after setting forth the claims of the gospel 
departed, promising to return later, leaving behind 
him Aquila and Priscilla, by whom he had been 
accompanied to Ephesus. From such an apparent- 
ly hurried beginning grew this strong church to 
which the Lord said, "I know thy works, and thy 
toil and thy patience." 

There is progress of thought here. There may 
be many who "work" in the Church, fewer who 
labor or travail for souls, fewer still who are 
patiently continuous in this. But all these features 
were found in this church. Moreover, it had suc- 
cessfully resisted evil, had zealously guarded the 
truth, had tested the claims of those who would 
teach within her precincts, finding them false, and 
had persistently upheld the honor and glory of 
Christ's Name. This Church had a splendid 
record, and sad is it that it should have been marred 
by anything whatsoever. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



Fickleness. — It is evident that the Ephesian 
Church had deteriorated much since Paul bade fare- 
well to its Elders at Miletus. The citation of its com- 
mendable qualities is followed by this complaint, "But 
I have against thee that thou didst leave thy first love." 
Only one blemish marred it, but, like the "rift 
within the lute," it spoiled the harmony of its life. 
It was scrupulous about duty and doctrine, but 
lacked the one thing that could give these stability 
and power. It had become fickle, and the youthful 
exuberance that once characterized it had turned 
to coldness. This Church was like the housewife 
who keeps the home spick and span, who is a 
DUTIFUL wife, but who has no affectionate greeting 
for her husband when he returns home from the 
day's toil. She does everything from a sense of 
DUTY. 

There are many in the Church today who are 
loyal in that sense only. This Ephesian Church 
was active, though she had left her first love. 
"First love is the love of espousal. First love is 
martial. In writing to the Corinthian Church Paul 
said, "For I espoused you to one husband, that I 
might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But 
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled 
Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be cor- 
rupted from the simplicity and the purity that is 
toward Christ." That is first love." Its elements 
are simplicity and purity. Here is described the 
love of espousal, "first love," and the fear expressed 
that this pure love may be lost. The pathos of the 
situation is seen in the fact that the Church was 
still active, apparently ignorant of, or oblivious to, 
its declension. It is possible to have the semblance 
of Christianity without the real experience, to have 



60 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

"a form of godliness while denying the power 
thereof.' 5 (II Tim. iii : 5.) 

The condition of this Church has been repeated 
in the history of the Church at large. It is seen 
in the modern tendency to discard the old because 
it is old, for the new. We are living in a profane 
era. Few things that bear the mark of time ,are 
being respected. There is scarcely a doctrine 
hoary with age that has escaped vandal hands. 
This is not criticism of the new learning. We 
cheerfully acknowledge our indebtedness to the 
Historical and Critical methods of investigating 
truth. We welcome knowledge from every quarter. 
We court investigation of what we believe. We 
hail with delight the new day that has dawned on 
the intellectual world, and are sure that men can 
do nothing against Truth, but much for it. The 
Bible has a far greater value for us under the 
present method of study. Our protest is not 
against sincere, scholarly, truth-loving investiga- 
tion, but against the indiscriminate iconoclasm that 
would ignorantly destroy foundations upon which 
many superstructures have in turn been erected, 
and which are still capable of maintaining their 
place. 

Is truth to be discarded because it is old? We 
must not reject it simply because it may be new 
and untried, but let us also for the contrary reason 
hold firmly to the doctrines that have stood the 
test of time, doctrines that inhere in the very 
life of the Church, the loss of which would make 
us infinitely poorer. The age of a doctrine is an 
argument for its retention. A diamond and char- 
coal are both carbon. The vast difference in their 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 6l 



value lies in their age. The charcoal is but of yes- 
terday, while ages of pressure produce the diamond. 

Instability: — The charge of instability might, 
with justice, be brought against many a church, 
and we will miss the purpose of this Divine mes- 
sage, which has for its object, the keeping of God's 
people to a lofty standard of religious life, if we 
insist on giving it a restricted, a local .application. 
We are continually praying that God visit His 
Church, that He come in power, etc. Have not we, 
in the light of this complaint in the Ephesian let- 
ter, missed the truth of the matter? "THOU 
DIDST LEAVE thy first love." God has never 
left His Church for a moment; alas, it is the 
Church that has so often lapsed from Him. 

TWO. SMYRNA LETTER. 
Revelation ii: 8-n. 

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna 
write : 

These things saith the first and the last, 
which was dead, and lived again; I know thy 
tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art 
rich), and the blasphemy of them which say 
they are Jews, and they are not, but are a 
synagogue of Satan. Fear not the things 
which thou art about to suffer: behold, the 
devil is about to cast some of you into prison, 
that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribu- 
lation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, 
and I will give thee the crown of life. He that 
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit s,aith 
to the churches. He that overcometh shall 
not be hurt of the second death. 



62 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



An Exhortation to Faithfulness: — There is no 
complaint in this epistle and consequently no re- 
buke. Remembering now that the local conditions 
were prophetic of certain phases of Church life, 
it is consoling to think that there have been times 
in the history of the Church when she has been 
pleasing to her Lord. 

One cannot read this history without being im- 
pressed with the fact that in every age a few have 
been found faithful and who kept the light burn- 
ing, although they were compelled to worship in 
the dens and caves of the earth. The memories of the 
Waldensees, Albigenses and other Christian sects 
spring into the mind. 

Smyrna was a prosperous city with a large Jewish 
population. The Jews were bitter against the Chris- 
tians, and incensed the Gentiles against them. We 
learn nothing of this persecution from the Scriptures 
other than the reference in this epistle. But to treat it 
superficially is to neglect one of the best helps toward 
a true interpretation of other portions of the Revela- 
tion. Indeed this little item if properly taken into con- 
sideration would materially change the opinions of 
many students of the Book. For it compels us to in- 
clude in the historical situation Jewish as well as 
Roman persecution. The force of this may not be felt 
at present, but it will throw considerable light on the 
interpretation of Chapters XIII and XVII. Profane 
history records another persecution in the second cen- 
tury, to be accurate, 155 A.D., and tells how Polycarp, 
the bishop of Smyrna, who sat at the feet of the author 
of the Revelation, suffered martyrdom at the age of 
ninety. 

He who "is the first and the last, Who became dead 
and lived again," has a message of comfort for His 
suffering disciples. He knows their tribulation, their 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 63 



poverty, and the villification they are enduring. But 
notwithstanding their outward poverty, they are in- 
wardly rich, — rich in all the graces of Christian char- 
acter. Had not He suffered in the same way? Yes, 
His own countrymen incensed the Gentiles as in their 
own case, and together they put Him to death. But 
He 'lived again. " He, therefore, not only sees their 
affliction and sympathizes with them, He identifies 
Himself with them. The relation between Him and 
them is so vital as to make their respective conditions 
reciprocal (Acts ix : 4). They are partners with Him 
in His sufferings ; they fill up on their part that which 
is lacking of the afflictions of Christ (Col. i: 24). But 
this account is squared by the life they derive from 
Him. 

This word of consolation was intended to prepare 
them for worse things. "Fear not the things which 
thou art about to suffer." He does not promise an 
immediate cessation of their ills. Rather He fortifies 
them for more. There is no profounder proof of 
grace than the ability to suffer wrongfully and yet 
manifest a gracious spirit. The finer graces of Chris- 
tian character are revealed under bruising and pres- 
sure, as it is the crushed rose that gives the greater 
fragrance. But notwithstanding this further perse- 
cution He exhorts them to be faithful even to the de- 
gree of martyrdom. How rich indeed must such a 
Church have been to have included in its ranks the 
sainted Polycarp who died a martyr's death in prefer- 
ence to denying his Lord. This faithfulness even 
unto death was deliverance from a doom terrible to 
contemplate — the second death, an intensified phase of 
spiritual torpor described in later chapters as the 
"lake of fire/' the eternal doom of the enemies of 
righteousness. 



64 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE ! 



THREE. PERGAMUM LETTER. 

Revelation ii: 12-17. 

And to the angel of the church in Pergamum 
write : 

These things saith he that hath the sharp two- 
edged sword: I know where thou dwellest, even 
where Satan's throne is: and thou holdest fast 
my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in 
the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, 
who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. 
But I have a few things against thee, because 
thou hast there some that hold the teaching of 
Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling- 
block before the children of Israel, to eat things 
sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. 
So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of 
the Nicolaitans in like manner. Repent there- 
fore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will 
make war against them with the sword of my 
mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what 
the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that 
overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden 
manna, and I will give him a white stone, and 
upon the stone a new name written, which no 
one knoweth but he that receiveth it. 

"Broad Churchism": — Pergamum was a city de- 
voted to Esculapius, the god of medicine, that branch 
dealing with the secret springs of life. The church 
here occupied a difficult position. Indeed its very 
existence seemed like sufferance on the part of Satan, 
who was enthroned in this city. 

But the Name of Christ was steadfastly held by 
His followers. Here, too, persecution had been rife 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



and at least one man had suffered death for his faith. 
The Lord commends them but at the same time calls 
attention to the abuses going on in their midst. There 
were men in the Church who taught the doctrines of 
Balaam and of the Nicolaitans. The history of 
Balaam is given in Numbers XXII-XXIV. In the 
words of this epistle "he taught Balak to cast a stum- 
bling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things 
offered to idols and to commit fornication/' The sub- 
stance of this teaching was that the Covenant pro- 
tected them from the consequences of their evil ac- 
tions. Both in the camp of Israel and the Church of 
Pergamum the utmost confusion resulted. However 
the teaching of the Balaamites may have differed 
from that of the Nicolaitans, the result was the same. 
The latter are supposed to have assumed the name of 
Nicolas, one of the original deacons in the Church of 
Jerusalem, but their teachings were doubtless a per- 
version of what he believed. 

This warning needs to be sounded today. With 
many, church-membership is everything. This gives 
them free license, the covenant protects them and 
saves them from evil consequences forsooth. There 
is need that clarion voices sound the fundamental con- 
dition of right relationship to God — "Ye must be born 
again." We must stand for a regenerate Church. 

The Church in Pergamum lacked discipline and was 
cursed with a false charity. It was infected with 
"broad-churchism." There were so many well-mean- 
ing people outside the Church (sic) that it would 
stifle its scruples, it would make concessions to meet 
the wishes of such. 

Weak churches, especially, are very apt to welcome 
those who may have money and influence without 
character. But it is a compromise with evil. Better 



66 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



a dozen good spiritual members than a hundred who 
may have zeal without godliness. 

Therefore, He that hath the two-edged sword un- 
scabbarded calls on this Church to "repent." This re- 
pentance must take the shape of house-cleaning. 
"Satan's throne" must be demolished: those zealous 
teachers, who prove to be stumbling-blocks, must be 
ousted. Unless this is done He will come and make 
war with them. It would not have been the first 
time that Christ had come in judgment on His Church. 
Paul speaks of handing over certain persons to Satan 
for the destruction of the flesh, and also of those who 
were "asleep," i. e., who were in their graves, because 
of the abuse of the Lord's Supper — others being 
"weak and sickly." (I Cor. v: 5; I Tim. i: 20; I Cor. 
xi: 30.) 

The promise to those who carry out the Will of 
the Lord is two-fold: They will be fed with the 
"hidden manna." Reference is made to the special 
provision made for the Israelites in the wilderness. 
This "bread which came down from heaven" is how- 
ever "hidden," i. e., spiritual. 

They are to have the "white stone" of acquittal. 
When an accused man went forth justly acquitted, a 
white stone was given him as a token of his inno- 
cence. It was also given for other reasons. Victors 
on fields of battle received a white stone as a reward 
of triumph; it was also a token of free citizenship. 
On this stone a new name is written which no one 
but the recipient can know. This is equivalent to 
Paul's statement, "No man can say that Jesus is the 
Lord but by the Holy Ghost." (I Cor. xii : 3.) 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



FOUR. THYATIRA LETTER. 

Revelation ii : 18-29. 

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira 
write : 

These things saith the Son of God, who hath 
his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like 
unto burnished brass : I know thy works, and thy 
love and faith and ministry and patience, and that 
thy last works are more than the first. But I 
have this against thee, that thou sufferest the 
woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophet- 
ess ; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants 
to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed 
to idols. And I gave her time that she should 
repent; and she willeth not to repent of her 
fornication. Behold, I do cast her into a bed, 
and them that commit adultery with her into 
great tribulation, except they repent of her works. 
And I will kill her children with death; and all 
the churches shall know that I am he which 
searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give 
unto each one of you according to your works. 
But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, 
as many as have not this teaching, which know 
not the deep things of Satan, as they say; I cast 
upon you none other burden. Howbeit that 
which ye have, hold fast till I come. And he that 
overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto 
the end, to him will I give authority over the 
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of 
iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to 
shivers; as I also have received of my Father; 
and I will give him the morning star. He that 



68 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
to the churches. 

The Church's Worldly Side:— In this letter to 
Thyatira we begin the study of the Church from a 
new viewpoint. Thus far we have considered her 
from the Divine side. It is the Church in her rela- 
tion to her Lord, and not in her conflict with the 
world that has hitherto engaged our attention. To 
be sure, we find sin within her precincts, but the bulk 
of the membership is true. 

It is the latter phase that now demands our atten- 
tion, and we shall see that in the conflict between 
Righteousness and Evil, the Church as represented in 
these four remaining epistles has surrendered to the 
world. Seen here locally it is repeated on a scale as 
wide as the Roman Empire in the days of Constan- 
tine, when Church and State were first united. This 
marks the beginning of a wholesale spiritual declen- 
sion. Up to this time, armies and navies were on the 
side of the pagans; nevertheless the victories of the 
Church had constantly increased. 

The Church of Thyatira was probably founded 
through the instrumentality of Lydia of Thyatira, who 
was converted under the preaching of Paul on the 
banks of the river in Philippi. (Acts xvi : 13-15.) 

A Call to Separation: — There is a Divine regard 
for the good qualities of this Church. The works, the 
- love, the faith, the ministry, and the patience are all 
noted. No virtue is overlooked. But there is some- 
thing radically wrong here. "Thou stiff erest (i. e., 
toleratest) the woman Jezebel who calls herself a 
prophetess; and she teaches and seduces my servants 
to commit fornication and to eat things offered to 
idols." 

Does any one demur concerning this seeming spirit 
of intolerance? This is not a question of orthodoxy. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 69 



It is a matter of cause and effect. The teaching that 
encourages immoral living must be dealt with in a 
summary way. Jesus was not a bigot, and Chris- 
tianity is larger than the local Church. To show that 
there is nothing here of an intolerant character, it 
might be well to place alongside of these words of con- 
demnation, certain words that are unmistakably ex- 
pressive of intolerance and narrow-mindedness. 

"Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy 
Name, and we forbade him because he followeth not 
with us." (Luke ix: 49, 50.) These words, too, by the 
man who was commissioned to write the above epistle. 
But what is the Master's reply? "Forbid him not, for 
he that is not against us is for us." This is a suffi- 
cient answer to any demurrer. There must be some- 
thing in this Church that cannot be tolerated. And 
if Christ cannot, then they MUST not. What is the 
trouble? There is a "woman" here who claims a new 
inspiration. "She" professes to have a power that fath- 
oms the mysteries of God, which excelled any power 
possessed by the Apostles. Christ calls "her" pretended 
powers "the depths of Satan," and the result of "her" 
teachings is such that "she" is likened to Jezebel, the 
shrewdest and most unscrupulous woman of Old 
Testament times. 

The state of affairs in Thyatira is infinitely worse 
than in Pergamum. There, the teaching was to all in- 
tents and purposes that the Covenant relation pre- 
cluded judgment for sin, that Christians could com- 
mingle with the world with impunity; but here the 
SINFULNESS of sin is denied. There is no such 
thing as sin in "her" estimation, and therefore has 
no place in "her" system. Such teaching issued in 
every form of corruption. 

Time was given her to repent, but she was not will- 
ing to repent. She set herself in rebellion against 



7 o "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Divine authority, and there is nothing to be done but 
to bring judgment. Because the Church tolerates her, 
she will become a still greater menace. The penalty 
the Church must undergo for this indifference to the 
danger that imperils its life is a still greater thraldom. 

Who, or what, is "the woman Jezebel" ? The R. V. 
Marginal reading renders, "thy wife Jezebel," i. e., 
wife of the "Angel" of the Church in Thyatira. This 
makes impossible two interpretations usually offered 
when these letters are under consideration. The 
"angel" cannot be the pastor of the Church and the 
husband of "Jezebel." Such a state of things is well- 
nigh inconceivable. A like impossible situation is 
created by regarding "Jezebel" as an individual. It 
is much more in keeping with the character of the 
Apocalypse to regard this as a collective symbolical 
name. 

"Jezebel": — There is an apostate element in this 
Church for which the name of king Ahab's wife is 
not inappropriate. This element is a "harlot" as con- 
trasted with the other members of the Thyatira 
Church, namely, the Bride of Christ. And to this faith- 
ful remnant, there is a call to separate themselves from 
this "woman" and all who are in league with her. 
No further "burden" is to be placed on them. They 
are not to be deceived by the pretence of a further 
revelation. That already given is sufficient for the 
time being, and when they are capable of receiving 
more it will come through a channel, the purity of 
which none can question. "I have yet many things 
to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit 
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide 
you into all the truth * * * and he shall declare unto 
you the things that are to come." (John xvi : 12, 13.) 
The Church of the present day needs the same lesson. 
She must distinguish the true from the false in re- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



gard to the new voices all around her. No other 
revelation will be made: Christ will put no other 
"burden" on her. The distinct message of this letter 
is a call to separation, and the need of the present day 
is a deeper consecration on the part of God's people. 
What a contrast between the rewards of the two 
classes ! "Them that commit adultery with her into 
great tribulation, except they repent of her works." 
But "he that keeps My works will have authority over 
the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, 
as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers." The 
"works" of the "woman" and the "works" of Christ 
are placed in contradistinction. The reward of him 
that keeps the works of Christ, is to share His rule, 
(cf. Psa. ii: 9.) 

FIVE. SARDIS LETTER. 

Revelation iii: 1-6. 

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write : 

These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits 
of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, 
that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou 
art dead. Be thou watchful, and stablish the 
things that remain, which were ready to die : for 
I have found no works of thine fulfilled before 
my God. Remember, therefore, how thou 
hast received and didst hear; and keep it, 
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, 
I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know 
what hour I will come upon thee. But thou hast 
a few names in Sardis which did not defile their 
garments : and they shall walk with me in white ; 
for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall 
thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



no wise blot his name out of the book of life, 
and I will confess his name before my Father, 
and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. 

A Protest Against Dead Formalism: — This is the 
only epistle thus far without a commendation, and 
therefore is in this respect, at least, the saddest of all 
we have so far considered. In all these other Churches 
there are some things to commend. With what 
changed emphasis we read "I know thy works." So 
it was not devoid of works. Indeed, it had established 
a name for itself along this line. In its appointments 
and the elaborateness of its ritual it may have satis- 
fied the most fastidious. But there was nothing here 
to satisfy the heart of Christ. The Church was dead. 
There are some things which give a Church a name 
that are no indications of life. 

"Become watchful and stablish (or strengthen) 
the remaining things." Words of counsel. Christ 
has no quarrel with those who MUST have elaborate 
forms of worship. Indeed, to those who have not 
grown sufficiently to partake of the strong meat of 
the word, they may be necessary. When they ARE 
necessary, it is a sign of spiritual childhood. But 
Christ does not ask us to discard them. If we must 
have them we should "stablish," i. e., strengthen, ful- 
fil them. 

Wonderful blessings of grace had been showered 
on this Church, but what poor returns it had made. 
Here is Christ's protest against dead formalism. Un- 
less the Church repents, the suddenness of her Lord's 
coming will cut short her career. But in the midst 
of all this spiritual torpor, there were a few who were 
not defiled, who were found worthy of the Lord's 
companionship. They "shall be clothed in white gar- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



ments," their names will not be blotted out of the 
Book of Life, but will be confessed before the Father 
by Christ. 

SIX. PHILADELPHIA LETTER. 

Revelation iii: 7-13. 

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia 
write : 

These things saith he that is holy, he that is 
true, he that hath the key of David, he that open- 
eth, and none shall shut, and that shutteth, and 
none openeth: I know thy works (behold, I have 
set before thee a door opened, which none can 
shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst 
keep my word, and didst not deny my name. Be- 
hold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them 
which say they are Jews, and they are not, but do 
lie ; behold, I will make them to come and worship 
before thy feet, and to know that I have loved 
thee. Because thou didst keep the word of my 
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of 
trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole 
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. I 
come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, 
that no one take thy crown. He that overcometh, 
I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, 
and he shall go out thence no more: and I will 
write upon him the name of my God, and the 
name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, 
which cometh down out of heaven from my God, 
and mine own new name. He that hath an ear, 
let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. 

The Expansiveness of Christianity: — As in the 

case of the Smyrna Church, the Lord has no complaint 



74 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



against Philadelphia. Recognition is made of the 
"works," but these are not expatiated upon as in some 
of the epistles. It would seem as if He were impa- 
tient to at once deliver His message. The nature of 
the message indeed accounts for this seeming abrupt- 
ness. Its keynote is opportunity. Opportunities do 
not wait. A new note is struck here. Christianity is 
not to be restricted to any locality : it is inherently ex- 
pansive. The missionary spirit characterized this 
Church. It was not strong as men count strength. 
Indeed, it had but a "little strength/' but it had kept 
His word, and had not denied His Name. This was 
the secret of its success : it is the secret of success in 
any Church. Because of its fidelity in the little things, 
large opportunities are given it. "Because thou wast 
faithful in a little I will make thee ruler over many 
things/' (Matt, xxv: 21.) 

Thus there came to a Church neither great nor 
strong an opportunity it was not slow to use. The 
problems before this Church were very similar to 
those troubling the Church in Smyrna. "The syna- 
gogue of Satan" is the name Christ gives to the Jew- 
ish persecutors of these Churches. The message to 
Smyrna, you will recall, was an appeal to faithfulness 
even unto death. In that case, persecution could not 
be avoided. There was no promise of immunity. 
But here it is very different. The enemies shall bow 
down : they shall know that Christ loves His Church, 
and that in persecuting it they are persecuting Him. 

This was a word of encouragement in view of the 
approaching climax, a universal trial. "Because thou 
didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep 
thee from the hour of trial which is about to come on 
the whole habitable earth, to try those who dwell on 
the earth." This is another evidence that these epistles 
were not restricted in their application to the particular 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



Churches named. The message to this Church and 
the promise, "I come quickly/' might be regarded as 
germinal of the contents of the Revelation. 

The promise to the overcomer is also significant. 
He who is faithful in the face of a persecution that 
is world-wide, will be made a "pillar" of the temple. 
There will be nothing weak about such Christians: 
fighting the foe and stemming the flood will make them 
strong. Instead of making the Church a nursery, in- 
stead of being supported BY the Church, they rather 
will become the Church's best supporters. 

SEVEN. LAODICEA LETTER. 

Revelation iii : 14-22. 

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea 
write : 

These things saith the Amen, the faithful and 
true witness, the beginning of the creation of 
God: I know thy works, that thou art neither 
cold nor hot : I would thou wert cold or hot. So 
because thou are lukewarm, and neither hot nor 
cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Be- 
cause thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten 
riches, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not 
that thou art the wretched one and miserable and 
poor and blind and naked : I counsel thee to buy 
of me gold refined by fire ; that thou mayest be- 
come rich ; and white garments, that thou mayest 
clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy naked- 
ness be not made manifest ; and eyesalve to anoint 
thine eyes, that thou mayest see. As many as I 
love, I reprove and chasten : be zealous therefore, 
and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and 
knock: if any man hear my voice and open the 



76 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, 
and he with me. He that overcometh, I will give 
to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I 
also overcame, and sat down with my Father in 
his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear 
what the Spirit saith to the churches. 

Religious Tepidity: — This is the very saddest of 
all the epistles. In every other Church, Sardis ex- 
cepted, there has been something to commend. If 
they lacked godliness they had at least some zeal. 
But here as in Sardis there is absolutely nothing to 
commend. It was neither coldly indifferent nor fer- 
vently zealous. It was tepid. The temperature was 
unbearable. Cold water is refreshing, thirst-assuag- 
ing ; hot water gives relief when the stomach is dis- 
tressed ; but tepid water is sickening, and for that rea- 
son Christ says to this Church, "I am about to spew 
thee out of my mouth.'' The same thought as that 
expressed in Psalm XCV, "Forty years was I 
grieved," literally, sick at the stomach. 

This was the SPIRITUAL condition of the Laodi- 
cean Church. As to her TEMPORAL condition she 
was "rich, having need of nothing." She was per- 
fectly satisfied with this estimate of herself. But 
Christ's estimate of her is that she was "wretched and 
miserable and poor and naked and blind," counsels 
her to buy refined gold of Him that she may have 
real riches; demands true zeal. 

Notwithstanding the condition of this Church, there 
is no threat of judgment, no warning that the candle- 
stick is about to be removed from its place, but Christ 
Himself becomes a suppliant, and if anyone will open 
the doot He will come in and sup, and commune with 
that person. What condescension ! Because of this 
communion there is the promise of Christlikeness to 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the overcomer, "I will give to him to sit down with 
me in my throne." 

We have now considered these epistles from every 
view-point, some features briefly, of necessity, but we 
trust we have proved our contention that in them, be- 
sides the local condition of the respective Churches, 
we have a kaleidoscopic view of the Church universal, 
both in her divine and worldly features. 



Chapter VI. 

THE FORCES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Revelation iv-v. 

After these things I saw, and behold, a door 
opened in heaven, and the first voice which I 
heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, 
one saying, Come up hither, and I will shew thee 
the things which must come to pass hereafter. 
Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, 
there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting 
upon the throne; and he that sat was to look 
upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there 
was a rainbow round about the throne, like an 
emerald to look upon. And round about the 
throne were four and twenty thrones : and upon 
the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, 
arrayed in white garments; and on their heads 
crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed 
lightnings and voices and thunders. And there 
were seven lamps of fire burning before the 



78 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and 
before the throne, as it were a glassy sea like unto 
crystal ; and in the midst of the throne, and round 
about the throne, four living creatures full of 
eyes before and behind. And the first creature was 
like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, 
and the third creature had a face as of a man, and 
the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And 
the four living creatures, having each one of them 
six wings, are full of eyes round about and 
within : and they have no rest day and night, say- 
ing, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Al- 
mighty, which was and which is and which is to 
come. And when the living creatures shall give 
glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth 
on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and 
ever, the four and twenty elders shall fall down 
before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall 
worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and 
shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to re- 
ceive the glory and the honour and the power: 
for thou didst create all things, and because of 
thy will they were, and were created. 

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat 
on the throne a book written within and on the 
back, close sealed with seven seals. And I saw 
a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, 
Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose 
the seals thereof? And no one in the heaven, or 
on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open 
the book, or to look thereon. And I wept much, 
because no one was found worthy to open the 
book, or to look thereon: and one of the elders 
saith unto me, Weep not : behold, the Lion that is 
of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



overcome, to open the book and the seven seals 
thereof. And I saw in the midst of the throne 
and of the four living creatures, and in the midst 
of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had 
been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, 
which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into 
all the earth. And he came, and he taketh it out 
of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. 
And when he had taken the book the four living 
creatures and the four and twenty elders fell 
down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, 
and golden bowls full of incense, which are the 
prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, 
saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to 
open the seals thereof : for thou wast slain, and 
didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of 
every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 
and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom 
and priests ; and they reign upon the earth. And 
I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round 
about the throne and the living creatures and the 
elders; and the number of them was ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou- 
sands; saying with a great voice, Worthy is the 
Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, 
and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honour, 
and glory, and blessing. And every created thing 
which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and 
under the earth, and on the sea, and all things 
that are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that 
sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the 
blessing, and the honour, and the glory, and the 
dominion, for ever and ever. And the four liv- 
ing creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell 
down and worshipped. 



8o "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



The Seer's New Vantage-point: — As we proceed 
in our studies it will be necessary to bear in 
mind what has already been emphasized, viz. : 
that the truths developed in the body of the 
Book are germinally presented in the first chapter. In 
order, therefore, that we may understand the position 
occupied by Chapters IV and V it were well to 
briefly recapitulate. The Divine character of Christ 
is portrayed in i : 4, 5, and Christ clothed with human- 
ity in i : 13-20. Involved in this dual description of 
the Lord, is that of the Church in her heavenly and 
earthly relations. The Church as she actually appears 
in the world, with her spiritual and worldly features, 
is described in Chapters II and III. Chapters IV 
and V bring before us the DRAMATIS PERSON AE 
and the resources of righteousness, together with an 
idealized conception of the great theme he is to dis- 
cuss; with a wider horizon from which to view the 
scene of the conflict. This thought is sustained by 
a glance at the opening words of Chapter IV. A 
door is opened in "heaven," and the Seer is invited by 
the "first voice" (i. e., the "angel," identical with the 
Speaker of the messages to the Churches, viz. : Christ) 
to "come up hither." The scene of the visions is 
shifted, as it were, from earth to heaven. The real 
battle in behalf of righteousness is directed thence. 
The scene of the warfare is earth. The din and noise 
of battle is conspicuous here, but well is it for the 
Church that her Lord is "high and lifted up" above 
the confusion (Isa. vi: 1), whence He may direct the 
affairs of His world. It is to this vantage-point that 
the Seer is now directed to come. He must behold 
"the things which must shortly come to pass" (i: 1) 
from a loftier point of view. It is easy to go astray 
here. This is sequence of vision merely, not of chron- 
ology. There is nothing more stated here than we 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 8l 

find in the opening words of the Book. Many editors 
connect the words ''after these" with verse 2, making 
it read, "After these straightway I was in the Spirit." 
Irrespective of this, however, there is absolutely no 
advance in thought here. The statement is only a 
reiteration of the terms of John's commission. "The 
things which must shortly come to pass" (i: 1), "the 
things which thou sawest, and the things which are, 
and the things which are about to take place after 
these" (i: 19), and "the things which must take place 
after these" (iv: 1), all have the same meaning, and 
the last two are explained by the first. 

This loftier view-point gives the Seer his proper 
horizon. 

A Crucial Point: — We have lingered here be- 
cause this is a crucial point with expositors. Many 
interpret this rapture as being typical of the experi- 
ence of the Church at the end of the age, and thus 
project their reasoning to that time. They regard 
everything in the Book following this as taking place 
"AFTER the Church has been taken out of the 
world." This takes away every basis of reasoning 
and lands us in the realm of speculation, leaving us 
no tangible rallying point. 

There are three facts to be borne in mind here. 
While the epistles to the seven Churches have in view 
the Christian Church of all the centuries, they are 
primarily applicable to the local conditions that ob- 
tained in the Seer's day, and in any attempt to under- 
stand the Revelation this must be the basal concep- 
tion. 

Again, we must rid ourselves of a literal conception 
of the Seer's experience in this connection. The Book 
of Revelation is full of symbolism, and we must be 
careful to give proper meaning to its terminology. In 
plain language, the section under discussion means 



82 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



that John has taken an advanced step toward carrying 
out his commission. The things he now sees are pre- 
cisely what he has seen before, then in their actual con- 
dition, now in their ideal. He has not really been trans- 
lated to heaven. He is on the isle of Patmos still. 
It is a vision. Should any wonder be expressed at 
the repetition of the statement concerning the subject- 
matter of the Book, suffice it to say in the first place 
that it is in keeping with the Author's tendency to 
divide his matter into three parts, which has already 
been noticed. Then this statement is more specific and 
also more convincing than its predecessors. For ex- 
ample, the statement in i:i is general: " Which God 
gave Him (i. e., Christ) to show to His servants." In 
i : 9 John is commanded to "write therefore the things 
which thou sawest." There he receives his commis- 
sion, and in Chapters II and III merely writes what 
Christ dictates. But in the statement under discus- 
sion the Apostle is in a position to see the things that 
are about to take place. "Come up hither and I will 
show thee the things which must take place." 

Finally, we must bear in mind that the predictions 
of the Book relate to the immediate and not to the 
remote future, except in the ultimate sense which is 
essentially involved in prophetic literature. (See 
Chapter II.) It tells of "things which must shortly 
come to pass" (i: i) and "that the time is at hand" 
(i:3). Therefore, "seal not the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book" (xxiirio, 12). The words 
"after these," we repeat, relate to the order of the 
Seer's visual experiences, and not to the chronological 
fulfilment of the "things" described. Being spirit- 
ually prepared for what is to be shown him, we have 
in this section an account of his vision, of the 
DRAMATIS PERSON AE of Righteousness. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 83 



Vision of God's Throne: — John's description of 
the Throne and of Him Who sat thereon is very 
meagre, as we should expect. Even a man who was 
in "the Spirit" could in no way describe Him Who 
is "past finding out." He is content to say, "that 
He Who sat was in appearance like a jasper stone 
and a sardius; and there was a rainbow round the 
Throne; in appearance like an emerald." In this 
description no sensible representation of Deity is 
attempted, and the glory in which God is veiled so 
dazzles the eye of the seer, that the impression left 
by the most brilliant components of light alone 
remains. Cf. I Tim. vi:i6.) Nothing more need 
be said. Any attempt at an elaborate description of 
God, "Whom no man hath seen nor can see," would 
imperil faith in the seer's veracity. Besides, this is 
in perfect harmony with what John has written on 
this subject in his Gospel : "the only begotten Son 
which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared 
Him." (John i :i8.) No one knoweth the Father 
save the Son. (Matt, xii 127.) The "jasper stone" 
stands for the Holiness of God, while the "sardius," 
a fiery red color, indicates His wrath. 

It is not the description of the Throne, whose 
objective reality must, however, be considered sub- 
jectively, that concerns us so much as the impression 
the vision must have made on the seer, and the 
thoughts to which it may have given rise. The 
Throne of God contrasted immeasurably with another 
throne not far from where John lived his lonely life 
in exile. On that throne, on the Capitoline Hill at 
Rome, sat a man clad in imperial purple, and from 
that throne went forth wicked commands against the 
people of God. Decree after decree issued in perse- 
cution of the Christian Church. The man who sat 
thereon was regarded as the master of the world. To 



84 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



human sight, nothing was higher than the throne of 
the Caesars. But to this man "in the Spirit," far 
above it, was the Throne which he was now permitted 
to gaze upon, and infinitely higher than the man in 
purple was the other Ruler. Around this Throne was 
the iris, the bow of promise, the token of the coven- 
ant. What cared he now about the decrees of Rome ? 
He has seen the King. This is both prophecy and 
promise that the Lord's people and the Lord's work 
are safe. 

Such experiences have been duplicated in the his- 
tory of the Church. Long centuries after John's 
time, a King sat on England's throne who proved to 
be a "thorn in the flesh" to the Lord's anointed. But 
Bunyan, as in his famous allegory, "Pilgrim's Prog- 
ress," it is recounted, while languishing in Bedford 
Jail, "on account of the word of God and the 
testimony of Jesus" (Rev. i:p), was permitted from 
the vantage-point of the "delectable mountains" to 
see the City of God. Such visions are proof against 
all wicked mandates. 

If we are not privileged to see visions such as these, 
we can at least imbibe their thought. Above the 
ceaseless change, above the noise and confusion, the 
din and strife, above this contest between Good and 
Evil for supremacy, there is a Throne, and on that 
Throne sits the Ruler of the Universe. He does not 
make haste. His mills grind slowly. One day is 
with Him as a thousand years. The apostle John 
lived in the strength of this vision until the end. 

The Resultant Conception. — Around God's Throne 
were twenty-four thrones, occupied by twenty-four 
elders clothed in white and wearing crowns. These 
represent the Church in both dispensations. There 
were twelve sons of Israel and twelve original Chris- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 85 



tian disciples. These are conquerors' crowns, em- 
blems of the Church's victory. 

Here, then, is the resultant of John's loftier view- 
point. Hitherto, he has treated of the Christian 
Church distinctively, but now he sees in vision 
(ideally in heaven, but actually, of course, on earth) 
God's people of all times. Both dispensations are 
taken into consideration. Much unnecessary con- 
fusion has resulted because this fact has not been 
sufficiently recognized. 

Seven lamps are burning before the Throne, "which 
are the seven Spirits of God." Here is another in- 
stance of the relation the first chapter holds to the rest 
of the Book. We saw this sentence in i : 4. This is 
the "unity in diversity" of the Spirit's activities. It is 
a figure of the Spirit in His manifold ministrations. 
"Before the Throne a glassy sea like crystal." It 
is the appearance and not the material that is referred 
to. The symbolism suggests the calm surrounding 
God's Throne, as the "sea" in this Book denotes the 
confusion and turbulence of nations. Here the "sea" 
is calm. What gave shape to the seer's thought was 
some kind of clear, transparent stone. We read that 
the ancient Egyptians made glass, the monuments 
showing that the same glass bottles were used nearly 
four thousand years ago, as in later times. 

Basis of the Vision: — We have been introduced to 
the Throne-room of the Great King. The predomi- 
nant idea has been that of royalty. It is very evident 
that here the thought changes to priesthood, though, 
considering the vision in all its bearings, the two ideas 
overlap. The Temple and its arrangements are 
present to the mind of the seer. The "glassy sea" 
primarily refers to the Laver, that stood between the 
altar and the Holy Place, in which the priests bathed 
before entering the sanctuary. In the "four living 



86 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 3 



creatures" we see the Cherubim that overshadowed 
the Mercy-seat. True, there were but two occupying 
that position, but we must remember that their figures 
were also embroidered on the curtains (Exod. xxvi : i), 
so that the High-Priest, when he entered the Holy of 
Holies, was surrounded by them. They represent 
animated Creation, the idea being borrowed from 
Isaiah and Ezekiel. The four forms suggest the 
usual classification of animated creatures, viz: — 
rational beings, birds, tame animals and wild animals. 

But in the vision all is idealized. The Temple 
assumes universal proportions. In the place of the 
Holy of Holies, where God's presence was mani- 
fested, the whole heaven becomes His Throne, and 
earth His footstool. The brazen laver becomes a sea, 
the Cherubim an animated representation of Creation, 
while the Church is idealized in the twenty-four 
elders. This is very similar to Isaiah's vision in the 
Temple. (Isa. vi.) He, too, saw the Lord seated on 
a Throne. Each of the Seraphim had six wings like 
the four creatures of John's vision, and both seers 
heard them cry, "Holy, holy, holy," etc. The whole 
scene represents God surrounded by the living objects 
of His care, who ascribe to Him all glory and praise, 
reminding us of the contents of Psalm ciii. The 
paean of praise of Revelation iv might well be termed 
the Song of Creation. 

Vision of the Lamb:— John saw in "the right 
hand of Him Who sat on the Throne" a book or scroll, 
written on both sides, sealed with seven seals. A 
strong angel proclaims with a great voice, "Who is 
worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?" No 
one was found worthy in heaven or earth, and the 
seer was weeping because of this, when one of the 
elders told him to dry his tears, because "the Lion 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 87 

of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, had pre- 
vailed to open the book and its seven seals." 

The imagery here is based on Gen. xlix : 8-10. The 
all-conquering and all-controlling power of Judah 
there predicted, symbolized the royalty and supreme 
.sway of Jesus Christ. The promise of Jacob in the 
Scripture referred to was that this regal might, this 
conquering splendor should abide with Judah until 
Shiloh, the Peace-bringer, should come. Men have 
been wont to remark how this was fulfilled when 
Shiloh did come, how that then the power did depart 
from Israel when Rome's Eagles struck their talons 
into Judah's heart, and that since then the Jews have 
been a people scattered and peeled, hunted and hated ; 
without sceptre, and a by-word of the nations. But 
this does not exhaust the meaning of the prophecy. 
To that must be added what is said of "the Lion of 
the tribe of Judah," in the Revelation. Instead of 
departing from Judah, it centred in the Shiloh, Who 
is of the tribe of Judah. All that had preceded the 
Advent of the Peace-bringer was but a dim fore- 
shadow. It was as incomparable to the might and 
majesty of the real Lion of the tribe of Judah, as "a 
painted ship upon a painted ocean" is to a real ship 
on a real ocean. A striking paradox is introduced 
here. The "Lion of the tribe of Judah" is also the 
"slaughtered Lamb" that "prevailed to open the 
book." This vision would awaken tender memories 
in the mind of the seer. It is obvious that he was 
present on that eventful day long before, when John 
the Baptist, whose disciple he was at the time, pointed 
a designating finger toward a Young Man approach- 
ing within sight of the little group and said of Him, 
"Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin 
of the world." (John 1:29, 36.) That day, John, 
with Andrew, transferred his allegiance to Christ. 



88 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



The statement of the Baptist implied that the whole 
of former revelation was summed up and concen- 
trated in Christ. It is one of the links connecting 
John's Gospel with the Apocalypse. 

These words lead us back to the great prophecy 
of Isa. liii, where there are found representations 
germane to the matter under review. "He was led 
as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before 
her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth/' 
'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 
"By His knowledge shall He justify many, for He 
shall bear their iniquities/' The prophetic symbol of 
the Lamb had its roots in the past, and pointed back 
to the lamb of the daily sacrifice, and especially to 
the lamb slain at the Passover, which was an emblem 
and sacrament of deliverance from bondage. Thus 
there are gathered into this vision of the slain Lamb, 
the conceptions of vicarious suffering, and of a death 
which is a deliverance. Therefore, the "Lamb stand- 
ing, as if slain, in the midst of the throne and of the 
four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders" 
is the Recipient of universal adoration. 

Inferences: — Once more we must call attention to 
the Theology of this Book. Were there no other 
source, it furnishes, as noted at the close of Chapter 
III, sufficient data upon which to build the doctrine 
of the Trinity. He Who is in the midst of the 
Throne is essentially the same as He Who sits on the 
Throne ; and He Who is the Centre of all attraction 
in this vision, i. e., the Lamb, is "the Lord God, the 
Almighty, Who was and Who is to come." This 
plainly refers to Christ. Furthermore, the "seven 
eyes" of this Lamb are the "seven spirits of God," 
which in Chapter IV are represented by the "seven 
lamps burning before the throne." All these state- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 89 



ments are used interchangeably, and imply a Trinity 
in Unity. 

When the Lamb takes the book or scroll from Him 
Who sits on the Throne, the elders and the living 
creatures fall down before the Lamb and sing a new 
song — the song of Redemption, the song of the new 
birth — as in the preceding chapter we most fittingly 
have the song of Creation. A new song, because 
previously to the redeeming work of Christ, the 
earlier Church, though it also is represented by the 
elders, could not have uttered this song. A new, i. e., 
a higher level, is now attained in the development of 
God's Kingdom, the work of Redemption has been 
accomplished. Heretofore, men had been singing the 
praises of Moses, but now Christ stands pre-eminent. 
The vision of the Transfiguration has become actual. 
Moses and Elijah have departed, and we see " Jesus 
only." (Matt, xvii: 1-8 and parallels.) They must, 
and do willingly, decrease, while He must increase. 
(John iii: 30.) 

Stripped of its idealism, the narrative contemplates 
the Church as it is now upon the earth, — "with the 
Lamb in the midst of her, sending forth into all the 
world that sevenfold plentitude of His power and 
wisdom which the 'horns' and 'eyes' symbolize, in 
order to the perfecting of the saints unto the day of 
His Coming." 

The whole scene is intended to show the universal 
esteem in which Christ is held, and is a prophecy of 
His universal reign. He is acclaimed as the only One 
worthy to open the book. It is this acclamation that 
gives point to the narrative. We withhold from Him 
His due when we neglect to acknowledge His claims 
or refuse to witness for Him. 

A certain note in this song is worthy of being 
singled out for special emphasis. It is the content of 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



this strain, indeed, that gives zest to the singers. The 
Lamb is considered worthy to open the scroll because 
He redeemed them and made them to reign. Such 
events are constantly happening, though little ado is 
made over them. If an obscure person were raised 
to a throne, the occasion would give rise to a great 
commotion. But Christ is ever lifting up people 
from sin and degradation to heavenly distinctions, in 
comparison with which earthly distinctions, however 
lofty, are not to be mentioned. The world manifests 
little interest in these things, but Christ continues to 
add wonder to wonder, and the time is coming when 
He will give to these erstwhile obscure ones the 
sovereignty of the earth. The life-story of many of 
earth's kings is not one to gloat over. Monsters in 
human form have too often held sway over the nations. 
But the time is coming when this kind of rule shall 
have ceased forever, and in its place will come the 
reign of righteousness. 

Before proceeding to a consideration of the object 
of this vision we have been discussing, it might be 
well right here to gather up a few of the more sug- 
gestive details. The scene of the "Lion" that looked 
like a "Lamb" is one of contrasted characteristics 
which were very marked in Christ as He is portrayed 
in the Gospels. Strength and tenderness, severity 
and compassion, are seen in all His deeds and words. 
These are so obvious to those in any way familiar 
with the main incidents of His ministry, as to render 
further comment superfluous. The "seven horns" 
standing for Omnipotence, and the "seven eyes" for 
Omniscience, give us a pictorial representation of 
Christ's Deity. Sacrifice being the predominant note 
in these ascriptions of praise, it is intended to teach 
that worth is measured by cross-bearing. Something 
more than prayer and praise is required. These may 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 91 

cost us little. They will not save the world, however, 
and bring it under the dominion of Christ. He must 
also have our "power and riches," etc. The order in 
which the praise is rendered is intentional and full 
of meaning. It was fitting that those who had been 
redeemed by His blood should be first in their ascrip- 
tion of praise. Then the hierarchy of angels joined 
them. It is a prophecy of the universal adoration of 
Christ. 

Object of the Vision: — What we have just con- 
sidered is still introductory to the main theme of the 
Book. We are not yet shown the conflict between 
Righteousness and Evil, but we are introduced in 
these two chapters to the Powers of Heaven that are 
waging the conflict in behalf of righteousness. This 
vision is intended to inspire confidence in John and 
in all who, like him, suffer for righteousness' sake. 
Governments periodically make a display of their 
military and naval armaments to encourage their own 
people, and to show the world that they are prepared 
to defend themselves, serving notice that their rights 
are not to be encroached upon. 

But the main object is to be found in the expla- 
nation of the sealed roll. What is it? This image is 
doubtless borrowed from Isa. xxix: n, 12, — and we 
may define the Seals as symbols of events still hidden 
in mystery, but Divinely decreed. Why was there no 
one in heaven or earth sufficiently "worthy to open 
the book, or to look thereon," a fact that brought such 
consternation to the seer? We venture to assert that 
the scroll with the seven seals represents the history 
of the world as it lay hidden in the plan of God, and 
before it had been expanded in actual deeds. The 
opening of the seals, one by one, makes history. But 
who is to explain this history? It is full of enigmas 
to us. Our belief in the goodness of God seems in- 



92 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



compatible with many of the facts of history. They 
fill us with perplexity, and John's weeping at the 
thought of the inability of men and angels to open 
the book is descriptive of the general state of the 
human mind in the face of many perplexing problems. 
But the solution of all our problems is found in 
Christ. He explains history. All history converges 
in Him. Even if it be insisted upon that the book 
is the Book of Redemption, the above argument is not 
seriously assailed. For the history of the world is 
little more than the unfolding of God's plan of re- 
demption. Someone has said that history is "His 
story." Christ is the Key that unlocks all Divine 
mysteries. He has an answer for all our perplexities. 
He is the centre and source of the Universe; from 
Whom all things radiate. "For by Him were all 
things created that are in heaven, and that are' in 
earth, visible and invisible ... all things were 
created by Him and for Him : and He is before all 
things, and by Him all things consist." (Col. i: 16, 17.) 

All this has been anticipatory. We are now pre- 
pared for the narration of the actual clash. This 
begins with the next chapter. It should be noticed 
here that all three series of judgments which form 
the core of the Book of Revelation, namely, the Seals 
(vi:i), Trumpets (viii:2) and Bowls (xv:i), are 
sent from the Throne of God. (See iv:5.) They 
imply three phases of the author's subject, which, 
for the want of better terms, we must name the 
Universal; the National, or Redemptive; and the 
Local, or Contemporary. Their striking similarity is 
one of the chief grounds on which we base our inter- 
pretation of the Revelation. These likenesses will be 
shown in turn as we meet them. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



PART II. 

UNIVERSAL ASPECT OF THE CONFLICT. 

VI-VII. 

Chapter VII. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE CONFLICT. 
Revelation vi. 

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the 
seven seals, and I heard one of the four living 
creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 
Come. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, 
and he that sat thereon had a bow ; and there was 
given unto him a crown : and he came forth con- 
quering, and to conquer. 

And when he opened the second seal, I heard 
the second living creature saying, Come. And 
another horse came forth, a red horse: and to 
him that sat thereon it was given to take peace 
from the earth, and that they should slay one 
another: and there was given unto him a great 
sword. 

And when he opened the third seal, I heard 
the third living creature saying, Come. And I 
saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat 
thereon had a balance in his hand. And I heard 
as it were a voice in the midst of the four living 
creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a 
penny, and three measures of barley for a penny ; 
and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. 

And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard 
the voice of the fourth living creature saying, 
Come. And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; 
and Hades followed with him. And there was 
given unto them authority over the fourth part 
of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, 
and with death, and by the wild beasts of the 
earth. 

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw 
underneath the altar the souls of them that had 
been slain for the word of God, and for the testi- 
mony which they held: and they cried with a 
great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the 
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge 
our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And 
there was given them to each one a white robe; 
and it was said unto them, that they should rest 
yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants 
also and their brethren, which should be killed 
even as they were, should be fulfilled. 

And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and 
there was a great earthquake; and the sun be- 
came black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole 
moon became as blood; and the stars of the 
heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth 
her unripe figs, when she is shaken of a great 
wind. And the heaven was removed as a scroll 
when it is rolled up; and every mountain and 
island were moved out of their places. And the 
kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief 
captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every 
bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the 
caves and in the rocks of the mountains ; and 
they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall 
on us, and hide us from the face of him that 
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the 
Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; 
and who is able to stand? 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



With this chapter we begin the study of the central 
theme of the Book of Revelation, the universal 
struggle between righteousness and evil. John wit- 
nesses the opening of the Seals by the Lamb, and 
describes them in order, Chapter VI containing the 
first six. The seven are divided into groups of four 
(vi:i-8), and three seals (vi:9, 12, and viii : 1 ) — 
the former group being distinguished from the latter 
by the agency of the Four Living Creatures. As each 
Seal of the first group is opened, each one of the "Liv- 
ing Creatures" cries with a loud voice, "Come." The 
words "and see" in the Authorized Version are an 
interpolation and are unwarranted. The cry is not 
made to John as the statement in that version implies, 
but rather to the horseman who appears in response 
to the cry. 

First Four Seals: — The first rider appears on a 
white horse, provided with a bow; a crown is given 
him and he goes forth to conquer. The imagery is 
somewhat similar to Zech. i:8-n. That "white" is 
the livery of Heaven we learn from Rev. i : 14 and 
ii: 17. With the Hebrews, the horse was the emblem 
of war. (See Job. xxxix:25, Psa. lxxvi:6, Prov. 
xxi : 31, Jer. viii : 6, Ezek. xxvi : 10.) With the 
Romans the white horse was the emblem of victory. 
At the opening of the second seal, and in response to 
the "Come" of the second creature, appear a red 
horse and his rider, to whom is given a sword, and he 
is commissioned to take away peace from the earth by 
turning men against each other. It will be noticed 
that the color of each horse corresponds to the mis- 
sion of its rider. Here in the second seal it is to 
shed blood. 

The third creature cries "Come," and there appears 
a black horse with its rider, who holds a balance in 
his hand. "A voice in the midst of the four living 



96 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



creatures" (i. e., different from theirs, the "as it were" 
leaving it indefinite in the mind of the seer) com- 
missions this third rider. We hazard the conjecture 
that this is the "Voice" of Him Who is directing the 
seer. "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three 
measures of barley for a penny." The mention of 
the "balance" refers to the weighing of the wheat 
and barley, instead of the usual measuring. Hence 
we have scarcity symbolized. When the fourth seal 
was opened and the fourth creature had cried, 
"Come," there appeared a pale horse, whose rider 
was named Death, and Hades followed with him. 
They have authority over a fourth of the earth, "to 
kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and 
with the beasts of the earth." To the fourth rider 
alone is a name given. 

We had better pause here to consider the signifi- 
cance of what has just been described. The opening 
of the seals is the pictorial unfolding of the struggle 
between the principles of Right and Wrong, all his- 
tory being of Divine direction. But John sees the 
effect rather than the course of the conflict. 

Principle of Interpretation : — The great detriment 
to a sane interpretation of the Revelation is the in- 
sistent way men have endeavored to fit the details of 
history into these symbolic features. In our study 
of the Revelation we have become convinced that the 
Book deals with principles rather than with literal 
facts, although the facts give basis to the principles 
enounced; that we do not so much have to deal with 
single historical events, per se, as with a general 
view of things. We are not to look for a literal 
fulfilment of them. Rather are we directed to the 
sources whence these trials spring and to the prin- 
ciples by which the victory is gained. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Nor are we to regard either of the four riders as 
a PERSON. They are CAUSES with which we 
have to do here. They are manifestations of certain 
truths connected with the kingdom of God. Thus 
in the first rider we have a representation of the 
Cause of Righteousness, and the opening of the first 
seal is the announcement that that Cause is in the 
world, that the Kingdom is in the midst of us and 
that overwhelming defeat awaits those who oppose it. 

The interpretation now given of the first rider as 
one who comes forth to judgment on a sinful world, 
is confirmed by what is said of the other three. War, 
famine, death, and hades are not literally these things ; 
they express the means used by God for the scourging 
of mankind. They must not be taken literally. Like 
all else in the Apocalypse, they are used symbolically, 
and in a general form express the calamaties and 
woes sinful men have brought upon themselves by 
the rejection of their rightful King. 

Connected with the opening of the second seal is 
the statement that men "kill" one another. The 
literal rendering is "slaughter," the same word that is 
used of the "slaughtered Lamb" in Chapter V. There 
is a suggestion of irony in the statement. Sacrifice 
in the form of a blessing, many people shrink from. 
But this very thing often overtakes them in the way 
of a curse. This is illustrated in the words of Christ, 
viz:— "He that saveth his life shall lose it." (Matt 
xvi:25.) By avoiding the sacrifice which lies at the 
very root of human destiny, they are obliged to sub- 
stitute for it a different kind of sacrifice — they 
slaughter one another. 

In the third seal we have the condition of things 
produced by scarcity. The figure of a "balance" is 
used many times in the Old Testament to express 
the idea of famine. The "penny" or denary, which 



9 8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



was the daily pay of a laborer, was sufficient to buy 
eight of the small "measures" referred to in this 
section, so that when it could purchase only one 
"measure," it is implied that wheat had risen eight 
times in price. 

As in the interpretation of the first judgment, so 
here. The words are not to be taken literally. It is 
not famine in the strict sense with which we have to 
do, but the judgment of God under the form of 
famine. As in the former case, men saved their 
lives and thus lost them, so here they agree among 
themselves to live in peace; they will sow and reap, 
will plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof. But 
there is no thought of God in their hearts. What 
they enjoy of this world's goods they regard as their 
own products ; they are under obligations to no one 
(sic). And because the more men get the more do 
they want, this too eager pursuit of riches often de- 
feats its own end; and under the influence of laws 
beyond the ken of the political economist, fields once 
bright with promise of golden harvests lie desolate 
and bare. 

Before we leave the discussion of this seal, a word 
or two should be said about the direction not to hurt 
"the oil and the wine." There is much consolation 
here for the children of God. The oil and the wine 
were luxuries ; they were for the homes of the rich ; 
they are intended for the feast rather than for the 
exigencies of every-day life. The expression suggests 
the twenty-third psalm, "Thou preparest a table 
before me in the presence of mine enemies." This 
is the table referred to here. It is prepared for the 
righteous in the midst of their struggles with the 
world. 

We need not linger on the fourth seal, as its terms 
require little elucidation. The name of the rider is 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Death. But there "follows WITH" him, not AFTER 
him, Hades. His commission is to kill, and his in- 
separable attendant is a gloomy region beyond the 
grave. It may be necessary to say that the "death" 
alluded to is not that neutral separation of soul and 
body, but death as a judgment. A "fourth part of 
the earth" is afflicted. The judgments increase in 
intensity — under Trumpets a third part; under the 
Bowls, all creation. 

Creation's Travail: — We have briefly examined 
the contents of the first four seals and the question 
arises, What bearing have they on the subject as a 
whole? The Book of Revelation teaches that the 
age-long struggle of which it treats, culminates in the 
coming of Christ in Judgment. Every judgment is a 
prophecy of the FINAL Judgment. Furthermore, 
every judgment may be regarded as A coming of God, 
each of which is a prophecy of THE FINAL Coming. 

If we are right in thinking that "the book with the 
seven seals" is a symbolic representation of the 
world's history, then we can hardly escape the con- 
viction that the "Come" of the four creatures, — gen- 
erally admitted to be an ideal representation of 
creation, — is an expression of travail, and that the 
opening of the seals represents the various comings 
of God in history. 

Creation's Deliverance: — The words of Paul are 
very suggestive right here, "For the earnest expecta- 
tion of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of 
the sons of God. . . . Because the creature itself also 
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption 
into the glorious liberty of the children of God." 
"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and 
travaileth in pain together until now." (Rom. viii: 
19-22.) 



IOO 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



It must be evident that the language of the seals 
thus far considered, sounds very much like a pictorial 
representation of Paul's thought, and that the "Come" 
of the creatures is an expression of creation's travail 
for deliverance from bondage. 

The present world is imperfect as adapted to man's 
imperfect state; and because imperfection does not 
satisfy, nothing in the world is satisfied. Even the 
dumb creation instinctively asks for a higher state of 
existence. From the beginning of things the beasts 
have found man to be a hard task-master, and from 
those beasts which could not yield him servitude, he 
has wrung pleasure, until all creation groans beneath 
his lash. 

"Man's scent the untamed creatures scarce can bear 
As if his tainted blood defiled the air. 
The beasts of burden linger on their way, 
Like slaves that will not speak when they obey; 
Their faces, when their looks to us they raise, 
With something of reproachful patience gaze. 
All creatures round us seem to disapprove, 
Their eyes discomfort us with lack of love." 

And nature itself presses with pain and sorrow on 
the very creatures it seems at the same time to nur- 
ture. The cold exterminates whole tribes, and the 
warmth of summer breeds countless numbers of 
smaller creatures which pester every grade of animal 
life. 

There is a sense of imperfection, and that very 
sense is a cry for the perfect. There is a something 
it needs, and the Apostle tells us it shall yet be de- 
livered from the bondage of corruption and brought 
into "the glorious liberty of the children of God." 
(Rom. viii:2i.) 



'DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" iqi 



Travail of the "Sons of God" (Fifth Seal):— 

When the fifth seal was opened, John saw beneath 
the altar the souls of martyrs, whose blood cried out 
for vengeance. A white robe was given to each, and 
they were told to wait until others who were to be 
slain should be numbered with them. 

In a general sense, the contents of this seal may be 
said to be a graphic expression of the travail of the 
"sons of God" referred to by Paul. "We groan 
within ourselves waiting for the adoption, the re- 
demption of our body." (Rom. viii:23.) It is a 
mistake to attempt with some to classify these martyrs 
as "Old Testament saints" or "New Testament 
saints," and explain every phrase of this paragraph 
in the light of the New Testament. We are dealing 
with symbols, and with a book teeming with Hebrew 
terminology, rather than Christian, that must be inter- 
preted on the very broadest lines. They had been 
slain "on account of the word of God, and on account 
of the testimony which they had." Some would say 
that this falls short of the full expression of Christian 
testimony; that for Christians it is "the testimony of 
Jesus." But surely this is a mere juggling with 
words. The "testimony which they had" was evi- 
dently "the testimony of Jesus," for it is to Him they 
appeal in their cry, "How long, O Master, the holy 
and true," etc. To regard this cry as being made to 
"God as distinguished from Christ," because the same 
appellation is found elsewhere in the New Testament 
(cf. Acts iv : 24, Jude 4), is to run counter to the 
very spirit of the Revelation, which affords no 
criterion for parallel interpretation, though it has 
everything in common with the rest of the Scriptures. 
Throughout this Book, Jesus is the Champion of 
Righteousness, and it is only natural to regard their 
appeal as being made personally to Him. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



It has been said that they cannot be New Testa- 
ment saints, because their cry corresponds to the spirit 
of the Old Testament rather than to that of the New. 
But it is only by forgetting the language of the Reve- 
lation that this argument can have any force. Surely 
this cry is not out of harmony with the usual termin- 
ology of the Book. Strictly speaking, it is the blood 
which, under the Mosaic Economy, was poured out 
at the base of the altar that calls for vengeance, not 
the martyrs themselves. All of which presupposes 
the limits of the Apocalypse. A mistake commonly 
made is that each seal is regarded as being opened at 
the beginning of the Christian era, a theory which 
this work combats. The main theme of the Reve- 
lation recognizes no distinction between the Mosaic 
and Christian dispensations. This is especially true 
of the section we are now discussing, which carries 
us from the first moment men recognized a problem 
of Evil, until the day that that problem is solved and 
sin vanquished. 

In response to their query, they are told "that they 
should rest yet a little time until their fellow-servants 
also, and their brethren, who were about to be killed 
as they were, should be fully numbered" ; and a 
white robe given to each of them. This is frequently 
spoken of in the Revelation as the raiment of the 
redeemed. The faithful in Sardis are promised that 
they shall walk in white, and the Laodicean church is 
exhorted to buy ''white garments. " The "fine linen" 
of the Bride "is the righteous acts of the saints," 
(xix:8.) Now the fact that they did not possess 
these white robes before, has been urged as proof posi- 
tive that these are Old Testament martyrs, and that the 
robes are symbols of a righteousness longed for by 
Old Testament saints, but never fully bestowed upon 
them until Jesus came; that at death they were not 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



made perfect. But truly, it is beside the mark to 
argue relative degrees of bliss for the righteous dead, 
according to the accident of time. The presentation 
of the "white robe" must not be taken literally, neither 
does it mark a higher degree of bliss for the saints 
of the new dispensation than for those of earlier 
ages. 

Deliverance of the "Sons of God": — There is a 
great underlying motive here. We firmly believe in 
the proposition that lies at the basis of our whole 
argument that the Apostle treats not of a period, nor 
of a dispensation, but of God's government of the 
world in every age. There is in this Book no super- 
ficial distinction between the "Old Testament Church" 
and the "New Testament Church/' The Seer's 
horizon is as wide as time. When he describes the 
local features of his great theme, certain marks of 
identity are drawn for the benefit of his immediate 
readers, but these only prove our contention. The 
universal features are resumed at the close of the 
Book. These "souls," therefore, are martyrs to the 
cause of Righteousness without respect to time, and 
we fancy we can detect the underlying purpose of his 
vision. The Church in John's day was sufifering; 
many were sacrificing their lives for the Faith. John 
himself was an exile "on account of the word of God 
and the testimony of Jesus." If Paul felt constrained 
to write to the church in Thessalonica concerning the 
condition of the departed, may it not be conceivable 
that John was likewise impelled to encourage stead- 
fastness on the part of Christians in that great crisis, 
by showing them that God's faithful martyrs were in 
glory, and that their blood cried out for justice? The 
presentation of the "white robes" was just that little 
touch needed to make the picture complete. "For 
this we say to you, by the word of the Lord, that we 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



the living, who remain to the coming of the Lord, 
shall by no means precede those who fell asleep." 
(i Thess. iv:i5.) What Paul gave the Thessalo- 
nians in words, John gave his readers in pictures. 

Two questions troubled the saints of John's day, 
that have troubled the righteous in every age. The 
first is, Why do the righteous suffer, while the wicked 
flourish as a green bay-tree? If the Right is destined 
to prevail, why are the supporters of the Right perse- 
cuted? Why does not God stretch forth His Arm 
and annihilate the persecutors of His people? 

The second question is, What is the present condi- 
tion of the righteous dead? 

This vision is a solution of these problems. In 
answer to the first question, it teaches that God's 
method of eradicating evil is through sacrifice. That 
the "souls" are seen "underneath the altar" is ex- 
plained by the fact that the blood of the sacrifices 
was poured at the base of the brazen altar, but John 
sees not the "blood" of the martyrs, but their "souls," 
their lives, of which the blood was the essence. Those 
who were faithful unto death are victors in the strife, 
and "white robes," emblems of their purity, are given 
them. That is the answer of the vision to the second 
question. 

Sixth Seal. — At the opening of the sixth seal 
there was "a great earthquake," the sun became black, 
the moon red, and the stars fell like unripe figs when 
shaken by a great wind. 

Highly colored as this description is to us, it is in 
keeping with the Oriental mode of expression. It is 
taken partly from the language of the prophets, partly 
from the words of our Lord. Thus Joel said, "And 
I will show wonders in the heavens and the earth, 
blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall 
be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, be- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



fore the great and terrible day of the Lord come." 
(Joel ii 130, 31.) So Haggai, "For thus saith the 
Lord of Hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I 
will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and 
the dry land; and I will shake all nations." (Hag. 
ii:6, 7.) 

Our Lord spoke in a similar strain, "Immediately 
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be 
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and 
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the power of 
the heavens shall be shaken." (Matt. xxiv:29.) 

In their historical connections, these statements 
anticipate "the day of the Lord." 

The events described therein prepare the way for 
the coming of the Lord. This is obviously the teach- 
ing of the sixth seal. It carries us on to the consum- 
mation. The heavens and the earth pass away, the 
kings and the great men, chief captains and rich men, 
bondmen and free, seek death and death flees from 
them. Their one desire is to hide "from the face 
of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath 
of the Lamb." 

The Consummation: — Surely we are at the end 
of the great conflict of which this Book treats. 
The cry of the souls under the altar has been 
answered. Chap, xvi 117-21 presents many fea- 
tures parallel to this description. A failure to 
rightly account for the repetitive portions of the 
Revelation can only lead to confusion in interpre- 
tation. To say that such repetitions have no sig- 
nificance, and to explain them on the principle of 
"recapitulation," is to beg the whole question and 
make "confusion worse confounded." We have 
assumed all along that the seer is successfully work- 
ing; out one of the most mysterious problems of 
life. His investigation is most thorough. He goes 



io6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



to the very beginning and traces it down to his own 
day; then, upon the very principles that have gov- 
erned him thus far, proclaims the final issue. The 
most obviously just interpretation of this sixth seal 
is that it brings us to the very eve of the final catas- 
trophe. This interpretation is based on the assump- 
tion that the three series of judgments, Seals, 
Trumpets, and Bowls, necessarily imply three differ- 
ent, but relatedj phases of the problem with which 
the Book deals. 

Here, then, the primary application must be to 
the consummation of the age. While in xvi: 17-21, 
on the .assumption that the seer is dealing with the 
local aspect, the primary application must be to the 
destruction of Jerusalem under Titus. 

There can be little doubt that we have in Chapter 
VI an epitome of the conflict between the forces of 
Good and Evil viewed in its effects on the enemies 
of righteousness. 

In this graphic synopsis no details of history have 
been given, no particular wars or famines described. 
Everything has been pictured in the most general 
terms, the burden of the six seals being that God 
is King over all the earth, and that His coming to 
judge the world will affect us according to our at- 
titude in this great conflict. The Coming of Christ 
will be to the saint a blessed hope; to the sinner 
a fearful doom. 

It is useless to close our eyes to the fact that 
there is wrath in God against sin. This does not 
imply that it blazes forth on every occasion of 
wrong-doing. But men should not for this reason 
persuade themselves that God looks askance at sin. 
He is long-suffering, but not unregarding. There is 
a cumulative quality in sin and when "the cup of 
the Amorite is full" and the cry of the righteous 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



souls under the altar is heard, judgment will not be 
delayed. Shallow thinkers are they who suppose 
that God is ever mild and gentle towards man, how- 
ever base his conduct may be. There are many who 
find security in the thought that God as a Father 
will not punish His offspring whatever may be their 
offense. But it is a false security. 

That God is love, the Scriptures repeatedly em- 
phasize. It is this that awakens in our hearts a love 
for Him. But were God not as pronouncedly op- 
posed to sin as He is in favor of righteousness, He 
could not be perfect. What man of all those who 
are offended at the thought of justice in God which 
attaches penalty to sin, would think it love to him- 
self and others should the government of his coun- 
try abrogate all laws, and virtually say to evil men, 
"Go forth and do your will — none shall dare to make 
you afraid"? Those who a moment before were 
loudest in their remonstrance against the thought 
of God being so harsh as to punish sin, would be among 
the first to protest against lifting all restraint from 
the criminally inclined and endangering society to 
that extent. The notion of a Righteous Governor 
of the world Who rewards men according to their 
works, is in harmony with that notion of earthly 
government which all the wise and good unite to 
approve. Did God not show hatred of sin, it would 
be difficult to understand why good men should 
manifest such .antagonism toward it. 

The "wrath of the Lamb" must be explained in 
the same way. Jesus Christ is the Revealer of God. 
But if He reveals only the love-nature of the Deity, 
then He is not as affirmed by Paul "the fulness of 
the Godhead" (Col. ii:9). But He was stern and 
denunciatory as well as gentle and tender in His 
attitude towards men. Hypocritical men were 



Io8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



made to wince in His presence. He burned with in- 
dignation against sin, and showed wrath against all 
forms of evil-doing. The tenderness of Jesus is so 
patent that there is danger of overlooking this 
wrath-principle in Him. So the sixth Seal carries 
us on to that day which is to be distinguished as 
the "Day of Wrath." 



Chapter VIII. 

VISION OF THE REDEEMED. 

Revelation vii. 

After this I saw four angels standing at the 
four corners of the earth, holding the four 
winds of the earth, that no wind should blow 
on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. 
And I saw another angel ascend from the sun- 
rising, having the seal of the living God: and 
he cried with ,a great voice to the four angels, 
to whom it was give to hurt the earth and the 
sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, 
nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the serv- 
ants of our God on their foreheads. And I 
heard the number of them which were sealed, 
a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed 
out of every tribe of the children of Israel. 
Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve 
thousand ; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand: 
Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand : 



'DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand: 
Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand: 
Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand : 
Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve 
thousand. 

After these things I saw, and behold, a great 
multitude, which no man could number, out of 
every nation, and of all tribes and peoples and 
tongues, standing before the throne and before 
the Lamb, .arrayed in white robes, and palms 
in their hands ; and they cry with a great voice, 
saying, Salvation unto our God which sitteth 
on the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the 
angels were standing round about the throne, 
and about the elders and the four living crea- 
tures; and they fell before the throne on their 
faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: 
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks- 
giving, and honor, and power, and might, be 
unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And 
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, 
These which are arrayed in the white robes, 
who are they, and whence came they? And I 
say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he 
said to me, These are they which come out of 
the great tribulation, and they washed their 
robes, and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne 
of God; and they serve him day and night in 
his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne 
shall spread his tabernacle over them. They 
shall hunger no more; neither thirst any more; 
neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



heat: for the Lamb which is in the midst of the 
throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide 
them unto fountains of waters of life: and God 
shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. 

Counterpart of Sixth Seal : — We should naturally 
expect here the opening of the seventh seal, but this 
does not occur until we reach the next chapter. 
What we have in this chapter is a vision, the de- 
scription of which is greatly heightened by contrast 
with the closing scene of Chapter VI. The projec- 
tion of the vision of the redeemed at this point does 
not break the continuity of the seer's thought. On 
the contrary, it establishes it. We shall see that 
this vision is a part of the contents of the sixth seal 
— the counterpart of that already described. It is an 
evidence that the Book of Revelation is not a series 
of disconnected, unrelated prophecies and visions, 
but ;a systematic and artistic whole. 

In this chapter we have a two-fold vision of God's 
people. In the first part four angels stand at the 
four corners of the universe holding in leash the 
forces of nature, while another angel comes from 
the direction of the East to seal the "servants of 
God/' The Apostle does not witness the process of 
sealing, but only hears the number of those that are 
sealed. 

The Author's Plan: — That after so complete a 
catastrophe as that recorded at the close of the last 
chapter, any further reference to judgment of any 
kind should be made may appear strange. This seem- 
ing inconsistency may, however, be explained by call- 
ing attention to the various aspects in which the author 
has presented his subject. In chapters vi-vii we have 
the universal aspect, and in xiii-xx : 6 the local, the 
Book closing with the resumption of the universal fea- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" m 



tures. The struggle, therefore, is still on, even though 
the seer has pictured the complete triumph of right- 
eousness. 

He has an object in treating his theme in this 
manner. As already referred to, this is to encour- 
age endurance on the part of his persecuted co- 
religionists by showing them the relation of their 
struggle to the general conflict, and by assuring 
them that in remaining steadfast they contribute 
toward the final victory. Lest they think the vic- 
tory already woo, after the recital of such an over- 
whelming catastrophe, he speaks of further con- 
flicts and judgments. 

"Ne'er think the victory won, 

Nor lay thine armor down; 
Thy arduous work will not be done 

Till thou obtain the crown. " 

The "four winds" indicate the universality of the 
judgment spoken of. In its main features this vision 
resembles that of Ezekiel ix, and the teaching of 
both refers to the preservation of God's people in 
the midst of His judgments on the wicked. 

God's True People a Unit: — One's first impres- 
sion on reading this seventh chapter is that the first 
part must certainly refer to the Old Testament 
saints. These "servants of our God" are gathered 
"out of every tribe of the sons of Israel." But we 
must again refer to the universal character of the 
Book's theme. Strictly speaking, there is no dis- 
tinction drawn in the standing of God's people. The 
accident of time or racial distinction never enters 
into the conception. The phraseology may be dis- 
distinctively Hebrew, but its interpretation involves 
wider principles. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



As the judgments of the six seals already con- 
sidered must be interpreted in general terms, so 
with these names of the tribes of Israel. 

"Israel" is a term inclusive of God's true people 
everywhere and in every age. This argument is 
further confirmed by the like definite number 
sealed out of every tribe. We have already had 
sufficient evidence that the numbers mentioned in 
this Book are not to be disregarded. They often 
hold the key to the interpretation of those parts in 
which they are found. The number twelve is a 
familiar one to all Bible readers. There were twelve 
Patriarchs and twelve Apostles. The whole num- 
ber of the sealed is symbolical of completeness: 
twelve plus twelve multiplied by one thousand 
equals 144,000. It signifies that God has not failed 
in His purpose and that not one of His people has 
been lost. Satan has sifted them, but not a grain 
has fallen to the earth. (Luke xxii : 31 ; Amos ix : 9.) 

The application of the law of "inclusion and ex- 
clusion" is another reason for regarding this two- 
fold vision as teaching but one truth. The name of 
Dan is omitted, while that of Levi, which never 
appears in any list of the Tribes of Israel as a sep- 
arate entity, is included. This being the priestly 
tribe, it had no distinctively separate apportionment 
of the land like the others. (Josh, xiv: 3, 4.) It 
comprised a privileged class having its domain 
among all the tribes. But although "Levi" had no 
inheritance in the earthly Canaan, he is not to be 
excluded fromi the heavenly. The awful mystery 
of the blotting of a name out of the Book of Life is 
suggested in this substitution of the name of Levi 
for that of Dan. (Cf. iii: $.) We are reminded of 
the rejection of Judas (John vi : 70) and the sub- 
stitution of another in his stead (Acts i: 15-26). 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



It has been suggested, as a reason for excluding 
Dan, that the only Old Testament narrative in 
which the tribe played a part is that respecting the 
worship of idols. (Judges xviii:i-3i.) Thus, the 
declaration in Rev. xxii:i5, "without are idolaters," 
is here symbolically represented by the omission of 
Dan. We may regard it as a forceful protest against 
idolatry, a sin "wholly disqualifying for admission 
into the number of God's saints." 

The name of Joseph, too, which was not borne by 
any tribe, is substituted for that of Ephraim. While 
his brother, Manasseh, is mentioned, it must be re- 
membered that Ephraim as w T ell as Dan was ad- 
dicted to idolatry (Judges xvii-xviii, I Kings xii: 25, 
29). This tribe also was foremost in the defection 
of the Ten Tribes from the House of David (II Sam. 
ii:<5; Isa. viirg, 17). Ephraim is the "confederate of 
the enemies of Judah (Isa. vii : 2. Cf. Hosea v : 3 and 
passim). 

In placing Benjamin last, the author has followed 
the order of time, as, in the order of Christian con- 
ceptions, Judah is placed first. These considera- 
tions lead us to the conclusion that we have here 
not two distinct classes of people, but a two-fold 
vision of the redeemed of all nations. "The one 
hundred and forty-four thousand of the tribes of 
Israel" are the same as the "great multitude out of 
every nation." They symbolize the Church through- 
out all time, from the day when the "white horse 
and his rider went forth conquering and to con- 
quer," during the successive ages represented to 
the seer in the visions of the first six seals, i. e., 
down to the final judgment. 

It is no objection to this interpretation that the 
"multitude" cannot be numbered while the forepart 
of the vision gives a definite number of the sealed 



1 1 4 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

out of twelve tribes, or that this multitude is gath- 
ered not out of twelve tribes, but from among all 
nations; or, again, that those who compose it have 
not been "sealed/' so as to escape the judgments; 
but have actually come "out of the great tribula- 
tion" (v. 14). These differences are explained by 
the author's attempt to express a universal truth, 
through a racial consciousness. 

Seer's Literary Tendency: — But why present the 
same truth on two different lines? What motive 
had the seer in doing this? That he had a motive 
may well be inferred from the many instances in 
this Book of conscious, artistic skill. A study of 
his writings reveals a tendency to set forth the same 
object in various lights, leading to a climax. The 
late Wm. Alexander, D. D., the Bishop of Derry 
and Raphoe, likened this method to that of a 
musician who in the first few measures of his com- 
position reveals his theme, then seems to leave it, 
but which throughout his work recurs again and 
again, finally bringing it to the climax in the 
"grand finale." To illustrate : — the theme of John's 
Gospel; is the Deity of Christ, and the prologue 
presents ( a clear outline of the subject-matter treated 
in the body of the work; and while at times the 
theme itself is kept in the background while the 
evidences of the truth of his proposition are brought 
to the fore, yet he never allows his readers to lose 
sight of the theme, which he brings to a grand cli- 
max in the closing chapter. 

So in his first epistle. The theme, The Divine 
Life, is gently touched upon in the words "He that 
doeth righteousness is born of God." (I John 
ii : 29.) We hear no more of it until in the course 
of his epistle he says with increased emphasis: 
"Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 115 

(I John iii:9.) Once more we hear him say in 
deeper, though tenderer tones : "Every one that 
loveth is born of God" (I John iv: 7). and then, like 
the musician, gathers up all the forces of his theme 
in the grand climax, "Whatsoever is born of God 
overcometh the world" (I John v:4). 

Israel's Primacy: — Then, again, there was present 
to the seer's mind the primacy of Israel in the mat- 
ter of hearing the Gospel of Christ. It was to be 
preached first "to the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel." (Matt. x:5, 6; see Matt. xv:24; Acts 
xii:46; & Rom. i: 16.) A question that was much 
to the fore in .apostolic times, especially in the Jeru- 
salem Church was, What of the future of Judaism? 

Judaism's Future: — The seer has anticipated his 
answer to this question by his delineation of all 
God's people as comprising a definite number from 
all the tribes of Israel, thus merging all racial dis- 
tinctions. This definite number, 144,000, will be met 
with again in Chapter XIV, where our view of the 
Apocalypse obliges us to answer this question in 
detail. It is unnecessary, therefore, here to do more 
than give a hint that such a problem awaits us, that 
in the present vision the true Israel has been merged 
in the great company of all the saints, and that the 
ancient name is applied to all God's people irrespec- 
tive of time or nationality. 

These examples, if they do not explain, at least 
exhibit a characteristic of the author to reiterate 
certain truths. 

We have digressed somewhat from the immedi- 
ate point in hand, but inasmuch as the above- 
mentioned tendency, meeting us at various places 
throughout the Book, called for explanation, the 
digression might not be considered unnecessary. 



Il6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Innumerable Multitude: — To resume, the 144,000 
sealed are "the great multitude which no man 
could number." The one statement prepares us 
for the other. It must be borne in mind that John 
does not see the 144,000 being sealed. He simply 
hears the number. When he does see them they 
cannot be numbered. After he "heard" the num- 
ber of the sealed, he "saw" a great multitude out 
of every nation standing before the Throne and be- 
fore the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palms in 
their hands. The white robes are emblems of 
purity. They "washed their robes and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb." It must be no- 
ticed that they are a palm-be,aring multitude, and 
in order to get the seer's idea, we must study the 
sealing and palm-bearing together. The Apostle 
has in mind incidents of Old Testament history 
when describing his vision. 

The Seal: — The sealing represents an ancient 
significant custom. It was a token of proprietor- 
ship put by the owner on his property, an official 
stamp giving validity to a document, or a pledge 
of inviolability guarding a treasure. This "seal" 
on the forheads of the redeemed multitude be- 
tokened security, ratification, and ownership. 

We believe that the background of this scene is 
the institution of the Passover. God's own are 
marked before the final plague is sent on the Egyp- 
tians. John's account , of the sealing transaction at 
least suggests the descent of the destroying Angel 
who killed the first-born of the Egyptians and 
spared all Israelites who obeyed the command to 
strike all lintels and door-posts with the blood of 
the Passover lamb. (Exod. xii.) 

If this be so, then the latter part of this vision 
is of a supplementary character. Besides being 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 117 

a two-fold vision presenting the same truth with 
increased emphasis, there is progress of thought. 
The sealing of the one hundred forty-four thousand, 
before the winds held by the four angels are let 
loose, marked them as God's own. 

The Palms: — When John saw those who had been 
sealed, they w r ere bearing palms. If we are right 
in our conjecture regarding the forepart of the 
vision, then the latter part must depict the Feast 
of Tabernacles. And with this the narrative itself 
agrees. They are bearing palms in token of their 
wilderness life and their escape from bondage. They 
came out of great tribulation and w r ashed their 
robes in the blood of the Lamb. We heartily be- 
lieve that the basis of all this is Israel's experience 
in Egypt and in, the wilderness which was cele- 
brated in the recurring feasts, Passover and Taber- 
nacles. Israel's struggle with the Egyptians is 
here made a type of the Church's struggle with the 
world. The vision carries us to that time when the 
conflict is over and the children of God are enjoy- 
ing the felicities of Heaven. The vision of the 
"great multitude w r hich no man could number, out 
of every nation and all tribes and peoples and 
tongues," is an answer to the question, "Are they 
few that are saved?" (Luke xiii:23.) It was in- 
tended as a consolation to the Christian Church in 
the midst of its struggles with cruel persecutors. 

There has been no interruption in the opening 
of the seals. The author has but shown the final 
result of the universal struggle first, for the wicked 
(vi: 12-17), an d then for the righteous (vii). We 
have completed the first great cycle of the Book's 
teaching regarding the conflict between Good and 
Evil — its universal aspect. 



Ii8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



PART III. 

NATIONAL OR REDEMPTIVE ASPECT. 

VIII-XII. 

Chapter IX. 

JUDGMENT FOR SACRIFICE. 
Revelation viii-ix. 

And when he opened the seventh seal, there 
followed a silence in heaven about the space of 
half an hour. And I saw the seven angels 
which stand before God; and there were given 
unto them seven trumpets. 

And another angel came and stood over the 
altar, having a golden censer; and there was 
given unto him much incense, that he should 
add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon 
the golden altar which was before the throne. 
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers 
of the saints, went up before God out of the 
angel's hand. And the angel taketh the censer; 
and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and 
cast it upon the earth : and there followed 
thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an 
earthquake. 

And the seven angels which had the seven 
trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 

And the first sounded, and there followed hail 
and fire, mingled with blood, and they were 
cast upon the earth : and the third part of the 
earth was burnt up, and the third part of the 
trees was burnt up, and all green grass was 
burnt up. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" n 



And the second angel sounded, and as it were 
a great mountain burning with fire was cast 
into the sea: and the third part of the sea be- 
came blood; and there died the third part of 
the creatures which were in the sea, even they 
that had life ; and the third part of the ships w,as 
destroyed. 

And the third .angel sounded, and there fell 
from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, 
and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, 
and upon the fountains of the waters ; and the 
name of the star is called Wormwood : and the 
third part of the waters became wormwood; 
and many men died of the waters, because they 
were made bitter. 

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third 
part of the sun was smitten, and the third part 
of the moon, and the third part of the stars; 
that the third part of them should be darkened, 
and the day should not shine for the third part 
of it, and the night in like manner. 

And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in 
mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, 
woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by 
reason of the other voices of the trumpet of 
the three angels, who are yet to sound. 

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a 
star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and 
there was given to him the key of the pit of the 
abyss. And he opened the pit of the abyss ; and 
there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the 
smoke of ,a great furnace; and the sun and the 
air were darkened by reason of the smoke of 
the pit. And out of the smoke came forth lo- 
custs upon the earth; and power was given 
them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



And it was said unto them that they should not 
hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green 
thing, neither any tree, but only such men as 
have not the seal of God on their foreheads. 
And it was given them that they should not kill 
them, but that they should be tormented five 
months : and their torment was as the torment 
of a scorpion, when it striketh a man. And in 
those days men shall seek death, and shall in no 
wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and 
death fleeth from them. And the shapes of the 
locusts were like unto ihorses prepared for war; 
and upon their heads as it were crowns like 
unto gold, and their faces were as men's faces. 
And they had hair as the hair of women, and 
their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they 
had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron ; 
and the sound of their wings was as the sound 
of chariots, of many horses rushing to war. 
And they have tails like unto scorpions, and 
stings ; and in their tails is their power to hurt 
men five months. They have over them as 
king the angel of the abyss : his name in He- 
brew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he 
hath the name Apollyon. 

The first woe is past; behold, there come yet 
two Woes hereafter. 

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard 
a voice from the horns of the golden altar 
which is before God, one saying to the sixth 
angel, which had the trumpet, Loose the four 
angels which are bound at the great river 
Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, 
which had been prepared for the hour and day 
and month and year, that they should kill the 
third part of men. And the number of the 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 121 

armies of the horsemen was twice ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand : I heard the number 
of them. And thus I saw the horses in the 
vision, and them that sat on them, having 
breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of 
brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as 
the heads of lions; and out of their mouths 
proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. By 
these three plagues was the third part of men 
killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brim- 
stone, which proceeded out of their mouths. 
For the power of the horses is in their mouths, 
and in their tails : for their tails are like unto 
serpents, and have heads; and with them they 
do hurt. And the rest of mankind, which were 
not killed with these plagues, repented not of 
the works of their hands, that they should not 
worship devils, and the idols of gold, and of 
silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; 
which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: and 
they repented not of their murders, nor of their 
sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their 
thefts. 

In this section which includes Chapters VIII-XII 
we are to deal with the national or redemptive aspect 
of this conflict. By this we mean that the section now 
to be considered treats of the great struggle in its 
relation to the ancient people of God, ending with the 
birth of Christ. 

Position of Seventh Seal: — Before looking at the 
particulars of Chapters VIII-IX we must ascertain the 
relation of this seventh seal to its predecessors and 
also to what follows. This inquiry is important, for 
our view of the position occupied by the seventh seal 
will determine our view of the Trumpets and the 



122 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Bowls, and especially of the seventh in each series. 
Believing as we do that Revelation VI and VII give 
us the results of the whole struggle from different 
view-points, we are constrained to believe that Chap- 
ter VII is a link connecting Chapters VI and VIII 
rather than what it might at first seem, a wedge cleav- 
ing them into separate portions. This determines the 
position of the seventh seal in the series to which it 
belongs. 

But now what is its relation to the subject-matter 
of the rest of this section ? Although we do not meet 
with the Bowls until we reach Chapter XVI the con- 
nection between the three series of judgments is so 
intimate that to understand the prominent position 
occupied by the seventh seal it is necessary to refer 
briefly to the place occupied by the Trumpets and 
Bowls also. 

Relation of Seals, Trumpets and Bowls: — The 

reader must here be apprised of the fact that the last 
member of both the Trumpet (xi:i5) and Bowl 
series (xvi:i7) is marked by much greater force 
than belongs in either case to the six preceding mem- 
bers. The contents of the Trumpets and Bowls are 
summed up and concentrated in the last member of 
each. The interesting question therefore arises, How 
far does the development of the seals extend? A 
comparison of the contents of the seventh trumpet 
with those of the seventh bowl suggests the hypothesis 
that the latter flow out of the former. This analogy, 
therefore, leads us to believe that the seven trumpets 
belong to this seventh seal. There is a correspond- 
ence between the last bowl and the last trumpet, such 
as we find between the last trumpet and the last seal. 
It being obviously impossible to isolate either the 
Seals or the Trumpets, the general symmetry of the 
Book militates against isolating the Bowls, also. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Therefore, we conclude that the contents of the 
Trumpets and the Bowls are developed out of the 
seventh seal, which sums up and concentrates the con- 
tents of the six preceding seals. (Cf. xi: 19 & xv: 1.) 

It is not meant by this that there is a continuous 
connection between the Bowls and the other two 
series of judgments. But some connection there 
must be. That the seventh seal is the connecting link 
between the various groups of judgments is obvious. 
Six seals relate to the universal aspect, the seventh 
contains the seven trumpets, which relate to the 
national aspect, and the difficulty of seeing the con- 
nection between the Trumpets and Bowls lies in the 
latter's relation to the local aspect, the treatment of 
which must be preceded by the introduction of the 
DRAMATIS PERSONAE of evil. This obscures 
the necessary connection. But if we bear in mind 
that the seven trumpets blown by the seven angels 
comprise the contents of the seventh seal, the whole 
series of which is opened by "the Lion of the tribe 
of Judah," and that the seven bowls are poured out 
by the same seven angels, which in reality are not 
seven, but one, and that one, evidently the "Angel" 
Who communicates the Revelation to John (xvii: 1), 
we shall have no trouble in seeing the connection be- 
tween all three — Seals, Trumpets and Bowls. Add 
to this the witness of viii : 5, which is a general state- 
ment, the details of which are given in the delineation 
of the sounding of the seven trumpets, and we can 
hardly resist this conclusion. This argument har- 
monizes perfectly with our expressed belief that the 
book with the seven seals represents symbolically the 
history of the world. The position of the seventh 
seal affords a powerful argument for the unity of the 
Revelation. We shall have occasion again to refer 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



to these various judgments when their place in the 
structure of the Book will be made clearer. 

Half-hour's "Silence" : — When this seal is 
opened "there is silence in heaven about half an hour." 
Seven angels who "stand before God" are given seven 
trumpets. Another angel stands over the altar of sac- 
rifice with a golden censer. Incense is given him 
and he offers up the prayers of the saints on the 
golden altar, after which he fills the censer with fire 
from the altar of sacrifice and casts it to the earth. 
This is followed by "thunders, and voices, and light- 
nings and an earthquake." The silence of half an hour 
in heaven probably refers to a suspension of judg- 
ment. In iv: 5 we read of the "lightnings and voices 
and thunders" that proceed from the Throne, and in 
viii : 5 we again meet with them. The probable in- 
terpretation is that this "silence" is a brief cessation 
of these. But how brief? What was the duration of 
this period of silence? Are we to interpret the "half- 
hour" literally? Again we must say that the symbolic 
language in which the Book is written forbids it. In 
the study of an author it were well to keep in mine} 
his literary and doctrinal characteristics. In John's 
Gospel we read of an "hour" which determined the 
actions and sufferings of Christ. The reference is 
not to some unrelated period, but to a decisive time 
that gathers up and concentrates all the antecedents 
of that great event which was to take place when that 
"hour" struck. The "half" of anything in a Book of 
this character denotes not so much an actual half as 
a broken whole, and doubtless here means that the 
course of events has been interrupted. It is the calm 
before the storm when men are saying, "Peace! 
Peace !" and there is no peace. 

The Incense: — The offering of the incense, 
descriptive of the "prayers of the saints" is sugges- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



tive. It is to remind the reader of this Book that God 
hears and answers prayer. The cry of the "souls 
underneath the altar, Lord, how long!" is not un- 
heeded. And it is significant, too, that it is the fire 
from the altar that brings forth the "thunders and 
voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake." This may 
teach us that the God Who accepts the sacrifices of 
His people sends judgment upon their enemies; and 
that the fire which consumes the sacrifices resulting 
from the persecution of the world, rebounds with ter- 
rible force upon the perpetrators. (Cf. Ezek. x: 2; 
Luke xii : 49. ) 

As already suggested, we need not think of these 
"angels" as numerically "seven." We have learned 
in our study of this Book so far to interpret its num- 
bers in accordance with its general symbolic charac- 
ter. Seven is the number of unity. The "seven 
spirits" are God's one Spirit. The "seven churches" 
are His one Church. The "seven seals," "seven 
trumpets," and "seven bowls" while embodying many 
judgments are in reality one. 

The First Four Trumpets: — These angels prepare 
to sound their trumpets. At the sound of the first 
four "there followed hail and fire mingled with 
blood," a mountain of fire cast into the sea, a star 
burning like a torch into the rivers, making them in- 
tensely bitter, and the darkening of the sun, moon 
and stars. A "third part" of the objects on which 
these judgments descend are affected in each case. 
The "third part" may mean nothing more than that a 
large part was destroyed. The first four judgments 
fall on inanimate nature. Under the last three trum- 
pets men suffer. 

Interpretation of Vision: — As in the case of the 
opening of the six preceding seals, we must not look 
for literalness here. This is picture-language and the 



l 2 6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Apostle sees them only in vision. They are an intensi- 
fied conception of the Plagues sent upon Egypt, which 
serve as the background of this vision. But it is not 
mere rhetoric. The judgments on Egypt belong to 
the one teleologic scheme portrayed throughout this 
Book. They are not isolated instances of Divine inter- 
vention. They are essentially typical of God's con- 
stant care of His people, though the various manifes- 
tations of it may differ with the circumstances and 
times. This teaches us that all the judgments of God 
have much in common, and is another evidence of the 
assertion often upheld in the course of this study, 
that the theme of the Revelation covers the whole his- 
tory of humanity and of God's government of the 
world. 

The Eagle of Woe : — The first four trumpets hav- 
ing been blown, an incident of peculiar force and sol- 
emnity is interjected here. An Eagle (not an "angel" 
as A. V.) flies in mid-heaven crying, so that it might 
be heard in the most distant places of the earth, 
"Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth, by 
reason of the remaining voices of the trumpet of the 
three angels who are about to sound." There is no 
doubt that this incident is designed to impress the 
objects of Divine wrath with an added sense of ter- 
ror. The seer thinks of the Eagle not as a symbol of 
majesty, but of swiftness and strength, as of a bird 
hastening to its prey. The three "remaining voices" 
represent an intensified form of judgments about to 
descend. 

Fifth Trumpet :— With the sounding of the fifth 
trumpet he sees "a star fallen out of heaven into the 
earth." To this "star" is given "the key of the pit of 
the abyss," out of which rises a thick smoke darken- 
ing the sun and air. The "key" doubtless is given by 
Christ Who holds the key (i: 18). The "abyss" de- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 127 

notes the present abode of the Devil and his angels 
as distinguished from "the lake of fire" (xxii: 10). 
Out of the smoke came locusts having the power of 
scorpions. They devote their attacks to those who 
have not the mark of God on their foreheads, and 
they must not "kill" but only "torment" them, and 
that for a period of "five months," this being the 
length of time locusts are popularly believed to con- 
tinue their ravages — April to September. 

King of the Locusts: — In the eleventh verse of 
this ninth chapter we are distinctly told that the 
locusts had as king "the angel of the abyss." Compar- 
ing this statement with the authoritative declaration 
of the first chapter to the effect that "the seven stars 
are the angels of the seven churches," we take it that 
there is a like connection between the "star fallen out 
of heaven," ix: 1, and "the angel of the abyss" of 
ix: 11. These different titles refer to Satan's past and 
present status. He is a "fallen angel." We might here 
adduce the testimony of the Old Testament also. In 
its conception of "the host of heaven" a star and an 
angel are kindred ideas — Job xxxviii : 7 ; Psa. ciii : 
20, 21. The analogy of Isa. xiv: 12, and Luke x: 18 
strengthens our contention. It should be observed 
that it is not said to be "a star of heaven," but that his 
fall is from thence as of one unduly exalted. The 
fifth vSeal and the fifth Trumpet both have reference 
to the invisible world, the one to the domain of 
heaven, the other to the world of darkness. 

The projection of the chief opponent of the cause 
of righteousness at this point is not a little perplexing 
at first. Up to the present we have seen only the dis- 
tinctively Divine agents, and the struggle has been 
presented thus far from the Divine point of view. So 
far, with one exception only, and that only seemingly, 
namely the fifth seal, it has been overwhelming vie- 



128 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tory for the forces of righteousness. But now the 
arch-enemy of mankind seems to assume the offen- 
sive. But let us look a little more closely into the 
matter. This, like all its predecessors, is also a judg- 
ment on the wicked. The "locusts" that come out of 
the abyss are told not to hurt the grass, nor green 
thing, nor any tree, "but only the men who have not 
the seal of God on their foreheads." The limitations 
of their operations are instructive, and help us toward 
a correct interpretation. To repeat, they must not 
"kill/' only "torment," and that only for a period of 
"five months." It must also be borne in mind that 
there is no initiative in their attack. While like all the 
other judgments recorded here in that it is directed 
against the wicked, it differs from them all in the 
above-mentioned particulars. It is a permissive power 
which Satan is here represented as exerting. 

It may be thought that what has been said of Satan 
in this connection would be incongruous with his gen- 
eral character and purpose, that it would be 
Satan casting out Satan, a kingdom divided against 
itself. To which we reply that this is just the point 
here : that God makes even the wrath of men to praise 
Him; that Satan and his hosts are COMPELLED to 
carry out the Divine purpose. In its ultimate reach it 
exemplifies the truth that God "worketh all things 
after the counsel of His Own Will." (Eph. i: n). 
He is Sovereign, and the power of Satan is, after all, 
only permissive. 

The description of these locusts is highly colored, 
as in most cases in the Revelation, in order that the 
terror of the judgment might be felt. Literally 
speaking, locusts are noxious creatures from which 
man has no means of defending himself. 

The last three "woes" are so terrible in their import 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



that the coming of each is announced beforehand. 
"Behold, there come yet two woes hereafter." 

Sixth Trumpet: — The second woe, which pro- 
ceeds in consequence of the sounding of the sixth 
trumpet, reveals four angels at the river Euphrates, 
holding in restraint two hundred million horsemen. 
These are loosed and the horses are described as emit- 
ting "fire, smoke and brimstone" from their mouths, 
and stinging like serpents through their tails. Like 
the locusts of the fifth trumpet the horses are de- 
scribed in preternatural terms. 

Ordinary locusts and horses could not convey 
images of sufficient terror. Perhaps the background 
of all this was the experience of Israel with the East- 
ern powers, Assyria, Babylon and Persia. 

The seer adds very significantly that "the rest of 
men who were not killed in these plagues repented 
not of the works of their hands," etc. This statement 
has sufficient point when we recall the obduracy of an- 
cient Israel in the face of the many temporal judg- 
ments sent upon that nation. Had they repented in 
consequence of the preceding six, they would have 
been spared the more fearful judgment yet to come. 

We began this chapter with the statement that the 
section which it introduces deals with the problem as 
it affected ancient Israel. In some instances the judg- 
ments, as typified in the "trumpets," are sent upon 
Israel's enemies. The first four may be thus classi- 
fied, while the fifth has a GENERAL application. 
The sixth obviously falls on Israel alone, and gathers 
up in itself the history of the "chosen people" from 
the domination of the Assyrian power under Tiglath- 
pileser (II Kings xv: 29) until the destruction of 
Jerusalem under the Roman Titus, as symbolically 
set forth under the seventh Trumpet described in 
xi: 15-19. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Chapter X. 

FINISHED REDEMPTION. 

Revelation x-xi. 

And I saw another strong angel coming down 
out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the 
rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as 
the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire ; and he had 
in his hand a little book open; and he set his 
right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the 
earth; and he cried with a great voice, as a lion 
roareth; and when he cried, the seven thunders 
uttered their voices. And when the seven thun- 
ders uttered their voices, I was about to write: 
and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal 
up the things, which the seven thunders uttered, 
and write them not. And the angel which I saw 
standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted 
up his right hand to heaven, and sware by him 
that liveth for ever and ever, who created the 
heaven and the things that are therein, and the 
earth and the things that are therein, and the 
sea and the things that are therein, that there 
shall be time no longer: but in the days of the 
voice of the seventh angel, when he is about 
to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, 
according to the good tidings which he declared 
to his servants the prophets. And the voice 
which I heard from heaven, I heard it again 
speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book 
which is open in the hand of the angel that stand- 
eth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I 
went unto the angel, saying unto him that he 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" r 

should give me the little book. And he saith unto 
me, Take it, and eat it up ; and it shall make thy 
belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as 
honey. And I took the little book out of the 
angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my 
mouth sweet as honey : and when I had eaten it 
my belly was made bitter. And they say unto 
me, Thou must prophesy again over many peo- 
ples and nations and tongues and kings. 

And there was given me a reed like unto a 
rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple 
of God, and the altar, and them that worship 
therein. And the court which is without the 
temple leave without, and measure it not; for it 
hath been given unto the nations : and the holy 
city shall they tread under foot forty and two 
months. And I will give unto my two witnesses, 
and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred 
and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These 
are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, 
standing before the Lord of the earth. And if 
any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth 
out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies : 
and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this 
manner must he be killed. These have the power 
to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the 
days of their prophecy : and they have power over 
the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite 
the earth with every plague, as often as they shall 
desire. And when they shall have finished their 
testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the 
abyss shall make war with them, and overcome 
them, and kill them. And their dead bodies lie 
in the street of the great city, which spiritually is 
called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord 
was crucified. And from among the peoples and 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon 
their dead bodies three days and a half, and suf- 
fer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 
And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over 
them, and make merry ; and they shall send gifts 
one to another; because these two prophets tor- 
mented them that dwell on the earth.' And after 
the three days and a half the breath of life from 
God entered into them, and they stood upon their 
feet; and great fear fell upon them which beheld 
them. And they heard a great voice from heaven 
saying unto them, Come up hither. And they 
went up into heaven in the cloud ; and their ene - 
mies beheld them. And in that hour there was a 
great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city 
fell; and there were killed in the earthquake 
seven thousand persons: and the rest were 
affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 

And the second Woe is past: behold, the third 
Woe cometh quickly. 

And the seventh angel sounded ; and there fol- 
lowed great voices in heaven, and they said, The 
kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of 
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign 
for ever and ever. And the four and twenty 
elders, which sit before God on their thrones, 
fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, say- 
ing, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Al- 
mighty, which art and which wast; because thou 
hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. And 
the nations were wroth; and thy wrath came, 
and the time of the dead to be judged, and the 
time to give their reward to thy servants the 
prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear 
thy name, the small and the great ; and to destroy 
them that destroy the earth. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



133 



And there was opened the temple of God that 
is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple 
the ark of his covenant ; and there followed light- 
nings, and voices, and thunders, and an earth- 
quake, and great hail. 

The Strong Angel: — The description of the 
"strong angel" of Chapter X is analogous to that 
of Christ in Chapter I. It will be recalled that the 
seer declares in his foreword that the message is 
communicated to him BY Christ THROUGH His 
Angel. Throughout the course of his visions it 
is Christ Who at one time speaks, at another, the 
seer gets his message from the Angel. Throughout 
the Book the same significance is attached to 
"Jesus Christ" and "His Angel." 

The "Little Book":— In the hand of this "strong 
angel" is a "little book opened," and He declares 
that there will be no longer delay; but when the 
seventh angel sounds "the mystery of God will be 
finished, as He gave the joyful message to His 
servants, the prophets." What is this consumma- 
tion but the Incarnation, the description of which 
is given in Chapter XII? Surely this was "the joy- 
ful message of the prophets." This was God's 
method of making known to us the mystery of His 
Will to sum up all things in Christ. (Eph. i: 9, 10.) 
The Incarnation was the first step in the work of 
Atonement through which the "mystery" of God 
could be revealed ; namely, "that the Gentiles are 
joint-heirs, and members" of the same body, and 
joint partakers with us of the promise in Christ 
Jesus through the gospel." (Eph. iii: 6.) To other 
generations this was not made known. It was a 
"mystery," but now the "strong angel" declares 
that in the days of the seventh trumpet this "mys- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tery" will be "finished," that is, consummated and 
revealed. "Confessedly, great is the mystery of 
godliness; who was manifested in the flesh, justified 
in the Spirit, appeared to angels, preached .among 
Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in 
glory." (I Tim. iii: 16.) 

The mystery of God is the plan of redemption, and 
we cannot but believe, though we are anticipating 
somewhat, that from the beginning of Chapter VIII 
to the end of Chapter XI, we have a spectacular de- 
scription of the history of Israel from the deliverance 
from Egypt to the birth of Christ, a history of the 
great conflict between Good and Evil from the view- 
point of the plan of redemption. 

Unrevealed Mysteries : — The seer says that when 
the "strong angel" cried with a great voice "the seven 
thunders* uttered their voices," and that he was about 
to write, but he heard a voice out of heaven saying, 
"Seal up the things which the seven thunders spoke, 
and write them not." There are some things God 
reveals to His prophets which He does not reveal to 
others. It is enough that John know them for the 
present. Besides, what the thunders uttered does not 
concern the immediate present but the indefinite 
future. To Daniel it was said, "Shut up the words, 
and seal the book, to the time of the end." (Dan. xii: 
4.) The events which the "book" recorded would not 
transpire in Daniel's time, hence the instruction to seal 
it up. John, however, is elsewhere commanded other- 
wise, "Seal not the words of the prophecy of this 
book, because the time is at hand." (Rev. xxii: 10.) 
Comparing these two statements with the one under 



♦The "seven thunders" are a personification of the "seven 
voices" of thunder, which the Jews were wont to speak of, this 
usage being founded on the seven-fold repetition of "the voice 
of the Lord" in Psa. 29. The statement here implies that the 
seven spirits of thunder uttered their voices together. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 135 



consideration, it is obviously intended to teach the 
importance of that to be disclosed "in the days of the 
voice of the seventh angel." What the seven thun- 
ders spoke applied to the future, this is immediate. 
In vision the seer is on the other side of the Incarna- 
tion, and the importance of this transaction over- 
shadows all else. There may be some connection, too, 
between that which John is commanded to seal up and 
the office of Christ as Revealer of God's Mysteries. 
John is commanded not to write it, for "He Who is in 
the bosom of the Father" is about to come and "de- 
clare Him." (John i: 18.) The "little book" is 
"open" in contrast with the "sealed roll" of Chapter V. 
The contents of the seventh Trumpet must have some 
bearing on this fact. When the seventh angel sounds, 
"then is the mystery of God finished," i. e., the scheme 
of Redemption is no longer a mystery. (See Eph. ii: 
9, 10.) God's purpose may now be read like an "open 
book." This has been made possible through the 
Incai nation and all that it involved. The only logical 
answer that can be given to the question — What is 
the "little book"? is that it represents the gospel of 
the Son of God. 

The Seer's New Commission: — The same Voice 
commands the seer to approach the "strong angel" 
and request the "little book." The angel commands 
him to eat it up, declaring "it will make thy belly 
bitter, but in thy mouth it will be as sweet as honey." 
This experience must be explained by the renewal of 
the seer's commission, "Thou must again prophesy of 
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." 
The whole transaction is directly related to his fur- 
ther activity. Even though "the mystery of God is 
finished" in the Incarnation, the service of God's mes- 
sengers is by no means completed. This incident is 
in the nature of a second call. 



I 3 6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



At this point the narrative reflects John's actual 
experience as an Apostle and Prophet of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. We see here the transition from the 
old Covenant to the new. Old Testament prophecy 
ended with the Incarnation; this is also the starting- 
point for New Testament prophecy. The "mystery 
of God" was "finished" when that event took place, 
but it has been given to the Church to make known to 
men "the manifold wisdom of God" as expressed in 
the mission of Christ. Here then the apostle symboli- 
cally describes his inaugural experience, dating his 
commission to "prophesy" from his call by Christ. 
(John i: 39, 40; Matt, iv: 21 and synoptic parallels.) 

Meaning of Symbol. 1. Disability Removed: — 

Up to thi$ point he has merely written what he has 
seen and heard ; he has been an amanuensis writing at 
the dictation of Another, so to speak. He has been 
mostly concerned with past history. From now on 
almost to the end of the Book he will describe fea- 
tures of this spiritual conflict in which he has had a 
leading part. The narrative here is evidently based 
on Ezek. ii : 8-iii : 3, and reflects the experience of sev- 
eral of the Old Testament prophets. Two things are 
suggested by this strange symbol. In the first place 
it denotes the removal of the inward disability felt by 
every man who receives a call to the prophetic office. 
In Isaiah's case it was "unclean lips" that hindered, 
and he found cleansing by the live coal from the altar. 
Jeremiah had a profound sense of weakness and inex- 
perience, he felt no more capable than a child to grap- 
ple with the problems confronting a prophet in his 
day ; yet this disability is removed by the consecrating 
Hand of God on his lips. (Jer. i: 9.) Ezekiel's experi- 
ence is similar to John's, and it is not easy in their 
cases to determine the exact nature of the incapacity 
of which they were sensible. But all the above-men- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 137 



tioned had to deal with their rebellious countrymen, 
and they feared lest there should still be lurking in 
them the same spirit that characterized those to whom 
they were sent to preach, and were loath to look upon 
themselves as being in any degree better than they. 

The angel's command is a test of the seer's obe- 
dience and he eats up the "little book" in spite of 
its contents and the declaration of the angel re- 
garding its effects. "When the book proves sweet 
to the taste, he has the assurance that he has been 
endowed with such sympathy with the thoughts of 
God that things which to the natural mind are un- 
welcome become thq source of spiritual satisfac- 
tion." This was the experience also of both Jere- 
miah and Ezekiel (Jer. xv: 16; Ezek. iii: 3) with 
which John was familiar; and in ,a still higher 
degree in Christ, to Whom the doing of the Fath- 
er's Will was meat and drink, and Who experi- 
enced a joy in it tfrat was peculiarly His own. 

Meaning of Symbol. 2. Inspiration Imparted: — 
The second thing denoted by this symbol is the 
bestowal of the gift of inspiration on him now 
called to the prophetic office; i. e., the power to 
speak the message of Christ. "And He said to me, 
take and eat it up. * * * And I took the little book 
* * * and ate it up. * * * And they say to me, Thou 
must again prophesy of many peoples, and nations, 
and tongues, and kings." 

Meaning of Symbol. 3. Practical Suggestions: — 
These are the chief ideas involved in this symbol, — 
cleansing and inspiration. There are, however, 
some minor suggestions that m,ay be worth noting. 
It should teach us, for example, that it is only trans- 
muted truth we are capable of proclaiming, that truth, 
to be effective, must be "adorned" (Tit. ii: 10) ; and, 
to be understood by ourselves, must enter into our 



l 3 8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



experience. The fact that the seer found this 
sweet-tasting book bitter after eating may suggest 
to us that the reception of the Divine message is 
pleasant and agreeable, but the delivery thereof to 
others often accompanied by hardships and bitter- 
ness. This was certainly true of the seer himself. 
It also corresponds with Paul's experience. He 
told the Philippians that his highest ambition was 
to> know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (Phil, 
iii: 10). To the Colossians he could say that his 
ambition had been realized. "Now I rejoice in my 
sufferings for you/' etc. (Col. i: 24). This state- 
ment contains a profound philosophy. It teaches 
unity of travail among the various members of the 
mystical Body of Christ — the Church. Both John 
and Paul simply mean that the suffering they en- 
dure in their Master's work is only their allotted 
share as members of the Body of Christ. 

Stripped of their mystical terminology the plain 
meaning of John's description of his experience, 
which we are now considering, and of Paul's ex- 
pression which we have quoted above is, that the 
only truth we really possess is that which has fil- 
tered through our brains into our hearts. The Bible 
speaks to us in the language with which we are 
most familiar — the language of the heart. 

The Apostate Church: — That we have not over- 
stated the significance of this symbol may be 
proved by a glance at the opening verses of Chapter 
XI. The seer is given a reed ,and told to measure 
the Temple and the altar, and "those who worship 
therein." But the court which is without the 
Temple he is to "leave out," — literally, "cast out"; 
being the word used relative to the casting out of 
the man born blind, which incident is recorded in 
John's Gospel ix. Here we have to do with the 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



apostate Jewish Church. In addition to what the 
"little book" meant to John personally, it contained 
judgments about to descend on this Church that 
had disowned her Lord. But "those who worship 
therein" are to be exempt. They constitute the 
real Temple, the faithful remnant. The seer's 
symbolical experience of "eating" the little book, 
resulting in the "bitterness" spoken of (the seer's 
language denotes the Scriptural view of the seat 
of the emotions), was typical of the struggle 
WITHIN the fold of God's people and describes 
the actual experience of the apostles with their 
former co-religionists. Wherever they went this 
apostate element opposed them until Paul finally 
said to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, "It was 
necessary that the word of God should first have 
been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, 
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 
lo, we turn to the Gentiles." This was but the ful- 
fillment of the warning and prediction uttered by 
Christ Himself to His blundering countrymen. 
"The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and 
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" 
(Matt, xxi: 43). 

God's Plan of World-Redemption: — It is this we 
find reflected in what was told the Seer after he had 
eaten the book. "Thou must again prophesy of many 
peoples and nations, and tongues, and kings." It 
shows how God was preparing the way for the admis- 
sion of the Gentiles into His Kingdom. The natural 
branches of the olive tree were cut off and, keeping 
to Paul's figure, strange ones grafted in their place. 
(Rom. xi:24.) The "forty-two months," during 
which "the court which is without the temple * * * 
was given to the Gentiles" must be interpreted on the 
principle we have applied to other notes of time in 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the course of these visions. The time thus indicated 
is to be figuratively understood. It is the half of 
SEVEN years and symbolizes a broken whole. It 
suggests that the Gentile sovereignty is not absolute. 
This fact justifies the distinction drawn between the 
"temple of God" and "the court which is without the 
temple." The interests of the faithful are not jeopar- 
dized by this impending calamity. 

The Two Witnesses: — The same thought is in- 
volved in the length of time the "two witnesses" are 
to prophesy. Who are these? There are many opin- 
ions and it would only be confusing to present such 
an array. The seer defines them as "the two olive 
trees and the two lamp-stands, which stand before the 
Lord of the earth." In the vision of Zechariah, upon 
which this vision in the Revelation is based, two olive- 
trees supplied the golden lamp-stand of the Temple 
with oil. (Zech. iv: 11-14.) Here, however, there 
are TWO lamp-stands, a license which John has taken 
to complete the correspondence. What do these two 
olive-trees and the two lamp-stands represent? The 
golden lamp-stand of the Temple with its seven burn- 
ers typified Israel's religious mission to the world. 
The Law and the Prophets were the sources of the 
nation's inspiration. We do not hesitate to express 
our belief that the seer is here depicting the ministry 
of the Law and the Prophets. The judgments he 
describes are echoes of the experiences of Moses and 
Elijah, the respective embodiments of these sources 
of inspiration. The aim is to show how the revela- 
tion of God in the Law and the Prophets was dis- 
regarded by the apostate children of Israel, the "thou- 
sand two hundred and sixty days" expressing, as 
already indicated, the same thought as that embraced 
in the "forty-two months." That is, the Law and the 
Prophets have a limited ministry. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



But let us look a little more closely into the details 
in order to substantiate our assertion.- "And if any 
one wishes to hurt them, fire goes forth out of their 
mouth, and devours their enemies." We are in har- 
mony with the author's plan as seen in these studies 
thus far, when we say that this is simply an echo of 
Elijah's experience recorded in II Kings i, where the 
various captains of fifty are sent by King Ahaziah 
to apprehend him. The "authority to shut heaven 
that it rain not" clearly refers to Elijah's part in the 
great drought and consequent famine in the reign of 
Ahab. (I Kings xvii.) And what can be clearer than 
that the authority to turn waters to blood, "and to 
smite the earth with every plague," reflects Moses' 
experience with the Egyptians regarding the Ten 
Plagues ? 

"If any shall wish to hurt them he must in this man- 
ner be killed," and not until they have "finished their 
testimony" are these witnesses vanquished by "the 
beast that comes up out of the abyss," that evil genius 
of the apostate coreligionists who are in league with 
the world. 

Evidently an advance is to be made in the world by 
the Kingdom of God. The Law and the Prophets are 
about to complete their mission. It may be necessary 
here to again remind ourselves that the seer's present 
view-point is anterior to the Incarnation. 

Another mark of identity is given us by the seer. 
"Their carcass is on the street of the great city, which 
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where their 
Lord also was crucified." There is no mistaking 
Jerusalem here, and we can hardly fail to see that he 
is depicting under the guise of these figures the wit- 
ness borne by the Law and the Prophets, and by 
Christ Who was the fulfiller of both and Who was 
crucified by His enemies. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Beast of the Abyss: — "The beast that comes up 
out of the abyss" making war with these "two wit- 
nesses," overcoming them, is none other than the 
"star fallen out of the heaven," "the angel of the 
abyss" of Chapter IX, that is, Satan. 

The coming of this beast from the abyss is twice 
mentioned, here and in xvii : 8. The Hebrews con- 
ceived the Universe as consisting of four regions, 
namely, heaven, earth, sea and abyss. Satan first 
appears in heaven as the opponent of Christ, (xii : 
1-5.) He has attempted from the very beginning to 
frustrate the Incarnation. This is further exemplified 
in the "enmity" manifested between "the seed of the 
woman" and the "serpent." (Gen. iii: 15.) We may 
trace this "enmity" beginning with the first murder 
(Gen. iv), which our Lord ascribes to Satan (John 
viii: 44), and continuing throughout the history of the 
Jewish nation. After the nation had been formed, the 
forces of the Adversary were directed against the 
royal House of David. The revolt of the Ten Tribes 
may be regarded as another step. Jehoshaphat's alli- 
ance with Ahab (II Chron. xviii: 1-3) resulted in 
three generations of the royal family of Judah being 
cut off, until the line of "the seed of the woman" hung 
on one infant less than a year old, namely, Joash 
(II Chron. xxiirn). Athaliah thought she had de- 
stroyed all the seed-royal, but this one infant was 
saved from her fury by his father's sister. Thus the 
Messianic line was preserved. 

In order to complete this history it will be neces- 
sary to anticipate somewhat the teaching of later 
chapters, but to leave it at this point would give the 
reader a very inadequate conception of a struggle that 
occupies so important a place in the remaining chap- 
ters of the Revelation. This "beast out of the abyss" 
meets us in various forms in later studies, and it were 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



well to have a connected outline of his activities at 
the outset. Passing then into the New Testament, we 
might cite the instance of the putting to death of all 
male infants of two years and under by Herod at the 
time of Christ's birth; the attempt of the people of 
Nazareth to throw Christ headlong from the hill on 
which their city was built (Luke iv: 28-30), and the 
storm on the sea of Galilee when He rebuked the 
wind and waves that threatened to engulf the craft. 
The struggle ended at Calvary with what result it is 
not necessary here to amplify. Suffice it that we bear 
in mind the pictorial representation of it in Gen. 
iii: 15. 

Satan's attempt to frustrate the Incarnation having 
failed, his opposition is transferred to the regions of 
the sea and the earth (xii: 12; xiii: 1, 11), and the 
enmity of the beast from the sea begins with xiii: 1. 
But he is subsequently to emerge from the abyss as 
the enemy of the Church, as he emerged from the 
sea (xx: 3, 7). It is then by this beast from the abyss 
that the "witnesses" are said to be put to death. They 
are, however, to make head against all opposition un- 
til their testimony be finished. There can be little 
doubt that the basis of the events described here is 
the crucifixion of Christ and its attendant occurrences. 
John was a witness of that transaction and recalls the 
joy with which the enemies of Christ regarded His 
demise, and how it looked for the time being as if the 
forces of evil had triumphed. But their joy was of 
short duration, for in "three days and a half the 
breath of life from God entered into them, and they 
stood on their feet * * * and they heard a great 
voice out of heaven, saying to them, Come up hither." 

The earthquake and the giving of glory to the God 
of heaven recall the scenes following the supernatural 
portents attending the crucifixion. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



The Ascension: — In the ascension of the "two 
witnesses" the seer is thinking of the end of Moses 
and Elijah, one of whom died in the fulness of his 
powers whose sepulchre was never known, and the 
other translated that he should not see death. But in 
addition to this and overlapping it is the thought of 
Christ's resurrection and ascension. These three his- 
tories are closely connected in the seer's description, 
and the apparent discrepancy between this account 
and the actual end of Moses and Elijah should not 
perturb us. This is symbolism, and it is more impor- 
tant, because true to principle, that every feature con- 
tribute to the symmetry of the picture than that the 
details should conform to literal fact. We have 
already seen that he has taken license with the Tem- 
ple lamp-stand ; shall he not also have the same liberty 
in his treatment of other matters? The ultimate ap- 
plication, however, is to the experience of Christ Who 
fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. In the feasting 
that followed the death of the witnesses we mark a 
peculiarity of the author to caricature. In Chapter 
VII we read how the redeemed celebrated the feast 
of Tabernacles. In this chapter, while we do not have 
the outward tokens of that feast reproduced, it is safe 
to say that this account of the merry-making of the 
enemies of righteousness is intended as a caricature 
of that celebration. 

Grand Finale: — "The second woe is passed, be- 
hold, the third one comes quickly." When the sev- 
enth angel sounds, then comes the grand finale. 
Voices in heaven are saying, "The kingdom of the 
world has become our Lord's and His Christ's, and 
He will reign forever and ever." 

When Satan and evil men thought they had 
thwarted the Divine purpose and were no longer 
under the dominion of God's law, the Lord shows 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



that the victory is His. The final move is made 
by which the world becomes His again, so to say, 
and righteousness becomes predominant. That 
final move is the Incarnation with all its conse- 
quent eventualities, the description of which occu- 
pies the next chapter. 

Anachronisms Explained: — It may seem strange 
that the author should first depict the crucifixion 
and resurrection of Christ, and then immediately 
follow with an account of His birth. We must 
not look for chronological sequence in the Reve- 
lation. When the author begins a new phase of his 
subject he follows it to the end without regard to 
the chronological setting of related subjects. This 
may lay him open to the charge of anachronism, 
but he consistently refuses to treat of anything 
else that may fall within that particular period 
which he may at the time be describing. We have 
sufficient evidence of this in the contents of Chap- 
ters VI-VII, describing the whole conflict of which 
the Book treats. Then in Chapter VIII another 
phase of it is taken up and carried on to ,a point 
of triumph, which of course must necessarily in- 
clude the ministry and death of our Lord, with 
His resurrection. 

But the Incarnation is so important an event in 
this moral conflict that the author must treat it 
separately as marking the crisis of that conflict. 
This makes up the content of the seventh trumpet 
and shows the connection between the closing part 
of Chapter XI and the contents of Chapter XII, 
but before we proceed further it might be well at 
this point to briefly recapitulate. 

Recapitulation: — One great difficulty that has 
stood in the way of a proper understanding of the 
Book of Revelation, is the fact that all who have 



I4 6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tried to explain it, so far as we know, have re- 
stricted its scope, most of them to the period be- 
tween the establishment of the Church and the 
final consummation; others, to the first century of 
the Christian era, the latter indeed, in short, 
claiming that its interest centres wholly in the fall 
of Jerusalem and the effect of that event upon spir- 
itual religion. There is truth in both views, but 
neither goes far enough. We cannot doubt that 
the fall of Jerusalem is the chief historical fact 
around which the contents of the .Book revolve, 
and that its prophetic aspect reaches to the end of 
time, but we will, miss the key to a true under- 
standing of the Revelation if we fail to see that it 
carries us back to the beginning of human history. 

All are agreed that the Revelation is a pictorial 
,and symbolical representation of the struggle be- 
tween the Church and the world, these terms repre- 
senting contrary principles at war with each other. 
The age-long mistake has been that, when speak- 
ing of the Church, men almost invariably mean 
the New Testament Church exclusively. But we 
have no right to restrict the Church to any par- 
ticular age. We are well aware that "Church" in 
the commonly accepted sense of the term is a New 
Testament conception, but the principle involved 
is as old as humanity. That is to say, the author 
of the Revelation has in mind the people of God in all 
ages. It will therefore be understood that we use 
the term in its broadest sense, and that the theme 
of the Book is the perennial struggle between 
righteousness ,and unrighteousness. We) accord- 
ingly, at the risk of prolixity, give a brief analysis 
of the portion already considered, so that the reader 
may not be lost as in a maze. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 147 

The first five chapters are preparatory to the 
account of the actual struggle. 

Chapter VI contains a brief history of the whole 
conflict viewed in its effects on the enemies of God. 

Chapter VII gives the result from the view-point 
of God's people. 

Chapters VIII-XI, inclusive, set forth the history 
of this conflict as seen in its relation to Israel, 
leading up to the great crisis in the struggle; 
namely, the Advent of Jesus Christ. 

Our analysis refutes the charge often brought 
against the Book that it has no definite plan or 
order of sequence. We assert on the contrary that 
it has a very definite and skilfully arranged plan, 
to which the part we have already considered is a 
sufficient testimony. 



Chapter XL 

THE WORD MADE FLESH.— CRISIS OF 
THE BATTLE. 

REVELATION xii. 

And a great sign was seen in heaven ; a woman 
arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her 
feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars ; 
and she was with child: and she crieth out, tra- 
vailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. And 
there was seen another sign in heaven; and be- 
hold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and 
ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. 
And his tail draweth the third part of the stars 



148 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and 
the dragon stood before the woman which was 
about to be delivered, that when she was deliv- 
ered, he might devour her child. And she was 
delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all 
the nations with a rod of iron : and her child was 
caught up unto God, and unto his throne. And 
the woman fled into the wilderness, where she 
hath a place prepared of God, that there they may 
nourish her a thousand two hundred and three- 
score days. 

And there was war in heaven : Michael and his 
angels going forth to war with the dragon; and 
the dragon warred and his angels ; and they pre- 
vailed not, neither was their place found any 
more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast 
down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil 
and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he 
was cast down to the earth, and his angels were 
cast down with him. And I heard a great voice 
in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and 
the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the 
authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our 
brethren is cast down, which accuseth them be- 
fore our God day and night. And they overcame 
him because of the blood of the Lamb, and be- 
cause of the word of their testimony; and they 
loved not their life even unto death. Therefore 
rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. 
Woe for the earth and for the sea : because the 
devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, 
knowing that he hath but a short time. 

And when the dragon saw that he was cast 
down to the earth, he persecuted the woman 
which brought forth the man child. And there 
were given to the woman the two wings of the 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness 
unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, 
and times, and half a time, from the face of the 
serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth 
after the woman water as a river, that he might 
cause her to be carried away by the stream. And 
the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened 
her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the 
dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon 
waxed wroth with the woman, and went away 
to make war with the rest of her seed, which 
keep the commandments of God, and hold the 
testimony of Jesus. 

Those who limit the scope of the Revelation 
hardly know what to say about the place occupied 
by this chapter. They must resort to the inference 
that there is very little plan in the Book. But if 
the reader has followed us attentively, he doubt- 
less has seen that such an inference is unwarranted. 
We have constantly discouraged every tendency to 
look for chronological sequence here. Also where 
literalness might be implied we have endeavored 
to call the reader's attention to the general scope 
and purpose of the Book. But though we depre- 
cate the general predilection for chronological se- 
quence, it is very plain to us that we have at this 
point a striking example of LOGICAL sequence. 
This is not an isolated event that is related in this 
twelfth chapter. It is the main issue of the Trum- 
pets. It is an affair anticipated and hailed with 
delight by the people of God as represented by the 
twenty-four elders. The transition from the pre- 
vious chapter should not cause us to miss a single 
link in this chain of visions. 

In order that we may clearly see the place occu- 



i 5 o "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

pied by the contents of this vision, it is necessary 
to refer to what was said concerning the signifi- 
cance of the seventh seal of viii: I. There we 
expressed the opinion that this seal contained the 
concentrated effects of the six preceding seals, and 
that the seven trumpets were evolved from the 
final seal. It is likewise very plain to us that the 
seventh trumpet sums up all the force of the six 
preceding ones, and that the event pictured here, 
instead of being isolated and independent, repre- 
sents the contents of the seventh trumpet of the 
previous chapter. That which leads expositors to 
conceive a break between Chapters XI and XII, is 
their interpretation of the psean of praise acclaimed 
at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The ful- 
fillment of the w r ords, "The kingdom of the world 
is become our Lord's" (xi: 15), they place forward 
at the end of the present dispensation. But may it 
not be conceivable that this truth was realized when 
our Saviour "finished" His work by His death on 
the Cross, and His resurrection? Did not the king- 
doms of the world become His then? Was He not 
justified in saying at that time, "All power is given 
unto Me"? (Matt, xxviii: 18.) We verily believe 
that if it were ever given to angels or to any of 
the redeemed to acclaim that joyful event, it was 
when our Saviour arose triumphant over Death. 
No! that happy occasion does not await the future. 
It has come to pass, and the disciples of the Master 
have ever since been persuading men who are in 
rebellion against Divine authority "to lay down 
their arms." 

Neither should we stumble over the statement 
about "the time of the dead to be judged," etc. 
(xi : 18.) In John's conception, as this is portrayed 
in his Gospel, the Judgment is continuous : men are 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



judged here and now. They do not wait until the 
"Resurrection." (Cf. Matt, xxii 127.) Their attitude 
toward Christ here determines their future status, 
which the Final Judgment confirms. Those who 
are opposed to Christ's rule cannot be regarded as 
respected foes, inasmuch as Christ has conquered 
the world. They are rebels, and instant submission 
to His authority is demanded. (See note on xx: 
11-15, where the author of the Apocalypse has ex- 
panded this idea.) Besides, events requiring cen- 
turies for their fulfillment pass in a moment 
through the prophetic mind, so that in almost the 
same breath he may be speaking of events with 
centuries intervening. Thus the destruction of 
Jerusalem, a disaster immediately related to the 
rejection of Christ by the Jews and which is pri- 
marily intended in this account, serves as a proph- 
ecy of the greater Judgment. To the seer the work 
of Christ was the clim,ax of this great contest. 
(John xii: 31, 32.) To his mind all further efforts 
of the forces of evil were but the death spasms of 
a beaten enemy. Nor must we forget that the con- 
tents of all these visions are but "things which 
must shortly come to pass" (i-i), and that the 
whole period in which this transaction takes place 
is regarded as "a little time." (vi:n.) The seer 
was a man of great faith, a splendid optimist, and 
describes ideal conditions as if they were actually 
present. 

The Incarnation Symbolized: — We are now pre- 
pared to examine the contents of this twelfth chapter 
in which we have a pictorial representation of the 
Incarnation. That it is a sign seen in "heaven" must 
not disconcert us. "Heaven" in this Book evidently 
does not always refer to the abode of God and the 
home of the blessed. That it certainly does not con- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



vey that meaning in this connection is evident from 
the statement that the Child is "caught up to God" 
(v: 5), that is, caught up from the earth. It does 
not here even denote a place, but rather a condition, 
an attitude. What John means is, this is a spiritual 
sign; that is, he saw in spirit, it is a vision. To be 
"in the spirit" and to be in "heaven" are the same. 

The "woman" represents the Church of the time 
in which this event takes place, and for the sake of 
clearness we may speak of this as the Old Testament ■ 
Church. Her identity is given in the sixth verse where 
the "thousand two hundred and sixty days" have the 
same meaning as the three and a half years' ministry 
of the "two witnesses." She is "clothed with the sun, 
the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 
twelve stars." The Seer doubtless has in mind the 
dream of Joseph in which the sun and moon repre- 
sent his father and mother and the eleven stars his 
brothers. (See Gen. xxxix: 9, 10.) And as Jacob 
and Rachel are the traditional ancestors of the Israel- 
ites, it is not difficult to see the meaning here. The 
"woman" and her adornments represent respectively 
the earthly and heavenly aspects of the Old Testa- 
ment Church. 

The Dragon: — The apostle saw "another sign" 
at this time ; "a great red dragon having seven heads 
and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems." This 
is a representation of Satan, the heads and horns de- 
noting his universal activity and power (v: 9). "The 
third part of the stars of heaven" refers to the angels 
whom Satan drew down with himself to perdition. 
(See Jude 6.) No definite number, but a large portion 
is meant. 

The Supreme Crisis : — When the "woman" brought 
forth her Child, the "dragon" stood prepared to de- 
vour it. But this "man-child" Who is to shepherd all 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 153 



nations is caught up to God. This transaction marks 
the supreme crisis in this age-long struggle, and the 
issue of it shortens the rule of Satan. Cf. Gen. iv: 1, 
where Eve when she "bore Cain" supposed that she 
had "gotten a man from the Lord" — "a man-child" 
who was to bruise the serpent's head. 

The attitude of the "dragon" toward the "woman" 
expresses the seer's idea of the demon world in 
Christ's day. There is no way to account for so much 
demoniacal possession as recorded in the Gospels and 
Acts, except on the ground symbolically set forth 
here. A great advance is made in the Kingdom of 
God by the Advent of Christ, and . Satan strives to 
counteract it ("And the dragon stood before the 
woman who was about to bring forth, that when she 
brought forth, he might devour her child," v: 4), and 
this increased activity in the kingdom of evil ex- 
pressed the demonic consciousness of the gravity of 
the situation. It proved to be the beginning of the 
end of Satan's rule. 

The "woman" fled into the wilderness, where she 
has a place prepared by God, "that they may nourish 
her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days." 
There is no attempt on the part of the seer to dogma- 
tize. Let us bear in mind that this is picture-language 
with all the appurtenances peculiar to the Oriental 
mind. He is picturing the most critical stage in the 
struggle between Righteousness and Evil for the mas- 
tery of the world. The "wilderness" is the scene of 
her temptation as it was of Christ's. She flees to the 
place of her conflict "prepared of God," and where 
she is nourished. (Cf. "angels ministered unto Him," 
Matt, iv : 11.) Deut. viii : 2-5 and Hos. ii : 14 recall the 
flight of the ancient Church when persecuted by the 
Dragon through Pharaoh. The "harlot" is afterward 
found in a wilderness (xvii: 3), but not in "a place 



I 5 4 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



prepared of God." The "wilderness" is in prophetic 
language the type of Israel's exile. (Isa. xli: 17-19; 
Jer. ii: 2; Ezek. xx: 13; Hos. ii: 14, 15.) The "flight" 
suggests the passage of the Gospel to the Gentiles as 
announced in Matt, viii: 11, 12; xxi: 43; Acts xiii: 
46, 47; xxviii: 28. The "woman" is the Church of 
that time, which of course stands for Righteousness. 
The "Child," who is Christ, is represented as the prod- 
uct of Righteousness, and comes forth as its Cham- 
pion in the conflict. There is not a word here about 
the work of Christ on the earth. This is not the seer's 
object. He merely wishes to show how Satan is foiled, 
that the Child Who is to shepherd all nations is caught 
up to God. The whole vision may be regarded as a 
spectacular description of the Birth of Christ and its 
accompanying incidents. The action of "the dragon" 
as depicted here was doubtless suggested by the at- 
tempt of Herod to get possession of the Child Jesus, 
while in the escape of the "woman" to the wilderness 
we see a reflection of the flight of the Holy Family 
into Egypt. 

The Issue: — The issue of this crisis is shown in 
the expulsion of Satan and his host from "heaven." 
Care must be taken not to literalize here. It is the 
seer's way of expressing the result of the struggle. 

Through the victory of Christ and His followers, 
Satan's days are numbered, "the Devil is gone down 
to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a 
little season." (v: 12.) 

This is not an anachronism ; it is not meant that 
this is the introduction of evil into the world. But 
the seer transfers the contest from the first Adam to 
the second Adam, and shows how the latter bruised 
the serpent's head. (Gen. iii: 15.) This was Satan's 
real downfall, and the spectacular expulsion from 
heaven follows as a logical consequence. The men- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



155 



tion in this connection of the expulsion of the 
"dragon" from heaven by Michael, in a war which 
had for its object the dispossession of God, leaves us 
to infer that the triumph of Christ was the fundamen- 
tal victory over evil. The seer reverts to the earlier 
incident that we may know the antecedent history of 
the Dragon, and that he may explain the circum- 
stances under which he was led to persecute the 
Woman. This history is traced down in verse 14 to 
the same point as in verse 6, i. e., to the escape of the 
Woman into the wilderness. Stripped of its graphic 
verbiage, the language here teaches that the old con- 
flict of Satan with the powers of heaven was renewed 
at the Incarnation, and with the same result. The 
Devil and his angels not only failed to conquer, but 
they could not maintain their place in heaven. This 
is the "destroying the works of the devil" (I John iii: 
8), which was the consequence of the triumphant life, 
and death, and ascension of Christ. Here, indeed, is 
described in its fullest significance that which Christ 
with prophetic eye beheld. (Luke x: 18.) Cf. also, 
"Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out." 
(John xii: 31.) 

Opposing Factors: — "For this cause rejoice ye 
heavens and ye who dwell in them." "Woe to the 
earth and sea." The "heavens" are contrasted with 
the "earth and the sea." Joy to the one ; to the others, 
woe ! It is not the places that are thought of so much 
as what these places represent — the religious and the 
irreligious. All three figuratively describe the oppos- 
ing factors in this spiritual conflict. The "heavens" 
stand for the forces of righteousness and the place of 
the Church's security, whence the warfare is directed 
on her behalf. While the "saints" are, in reality, on 
the earth they are not regarded in the visions of this 
Book as dwelling here. They "tabernacle" with God 



I 5 6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



in "heaven" (xiii: 6). This much at least is implied 
here. The term, however, has larger meanings, which 
must be determined by their immediate connections. 
In most cases reference is made to the sky in the pop- 
ular sense, while in others the term is expressive of 
the Seer's spiritual perception, being analogous to "in 
the Spirit. ,, (Cf. i: 10; iv: I ; and xii : I.) The 
"earth" and the "sea" denote the forces of evil and 
the abode of those who oppose God's true people. An 
amplification of the meaning of these terms must, 
however, be reserved for the next chapter in connec- 
tion with the history of the two Beasts that arise out 
of these elements. 

The Persecuted Church: — The defeat of the 
"dragon" is followed by his persecution of the 
"woman." He "cast out of his mouth a flood of 
water to engulf her, but the earth swallowed it up," 
after which he makes war on "the rest of her seed." 
Here John doubtless recognizes the new Church 
and the persecution that followed the success of 
the apostles' preaching. The statement concerning 
the further activity of the "dragon" must not be 
lost sight of in the exposition of the succeeding 
chapters. Every opponent of God and His people 
described in the progress of the remaining chapters 
is an agent of Satan. This will be clearly seen 
when we reach Chapter XX. But this much by 
way of anticipation. 

This completes the second great cycle in the 
apostle's portrayal of the spiritual conflict. We 
have now considered the Universal and National, 
or Redemptive aspects; the third cycle having to 
do with the immediate conditions surrounding John 
and his fellow-religionists. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



PART IV, 

Local or Contemporary Aspect of the Conflict, 
(xiii : i ; xx : 6.) 

Chapter XII. 

THE FORCES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Revelation xiii. 

* * * and he stood upon the sand 
of the sea. 

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, 
having ten horns and seven heads, and on his 
horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names 
of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was 
like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the 
feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of 
a lion : and the dragon gave him his power, 
and his throne, and great authority. And I 
saw one of his heads as though it had been 
smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was 
healed : and the whole earth wondered after 
the beast; and they worshipped the dragon, be- 
cause he gave his authority unto the beast; 
and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who 
is like unto the beast? and who is able to war 
with him? and there was given to him a mouth 
speaking great things and blasphemies; and 
there was given to him authority to continue 
forty and two months. And he opened his 
mouth for blasphemies against God, to 
blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even 
them that dwell in the heaven. And it was 



i 5 8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



given unto him to make war with the saints, 
and to overcome them: and there was given 
to him authority over every tribe ( and people 
and tongue and nation. And all that dwell on 
the earth shall worship him, every one whose 
name hath not been written in the book of life 
of the Lamb that hath been slain from the 
foundation of the world. If any man hath an 
ear, let him hear. If any man is for captivity, 
into captivity he goeth : if any man shall kill 
with the sword, with the sword must he be 
killed. Here is the patience and the faith of 
the saints. 

And I saw another beast coming up out of 
the earth ; and he had two horns like unto a 
lamb, and he spake as t a dragon. And he 
exerciseth all the authority of the first beast 
in his sight. And he maketh the earth and 
them that dwell therein to worship the first 
beast, whose death-stroke was healed. And he 
doeth great signs, that he should even make 
fire to come down out of heaven upon the 
earth in the sight of men. And he deceiveth 
them that dwell on the earth by reason of the 
signs which it was given him to do in the 
sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell 
on the earth, that they should make an image 
to the beast, who hath the stroke of the sword, 
and lived. And it was given unto him to give 
breath to it, even to the image of the beast, 
that the image of the beast should both speak, 
and cause that as many as should not worship 
the image of the beast should be killed. And 
he causeth all, the small and the great, and the 
rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, 
that there be given them a mark on their right 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 159 



hand, or upon their forehead; and that no man 
should be able to buy or to sell, save he that 
hath the mark, even the name of the beast or 
the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He 
that hath understanding, let him count the 
number of the beast; for it is the number of a 
man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty 
and six. 

Universal Principles Locally Applied: — We have 
now reached the fourth grand division of the Book. 
Up to this point the Seer has described the universal 
and national aspects of the conflict. His treatment of 
the great theme has been general. He now deals with 
that feature of it which directly concerns his readers. 
The universal principles are applied to local condi- 
tions. The author's high order of skill is displayed 
in the ease with which the transition is made from 
one phase to the other. Therefore, what was once the 
history of a world struggle henceforth becomes 
the history of the Christian Church of John's day, in 
its conflict with the enemies of righteousness. 

The Dramatis Personae of Evil: — In Chapter XII 
was depicted the enmity of the dragon toward the 
Woman. Failing in his original design he resolves 
to make war with "the rest of her seed," i. e., the 
Christian Church. For this purpose xiii : 1 repre- 
sents him as standing on "the sand of the sea." The 
two "beasts" of this chapter embody the respective 
elements whence they come, the sea and earth. They 
are figurative of all that oppose God in His work for 
righteousness. But each is a distinct factor in this 
contest. We must remember John's experience in 
order to get his point of view. He was persecuted 
by both the Roman and the Jewish authorities. This 
was true of all who believed with him (i : 9 ; ii : 9, 10). 
The first "beast" came up out of the sea, having ten 



160 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



horns and seven heads like the "dragon" whose agent 
he is. To this beast the dragon gives his "power, and 
his throne, and great authority." This is doubtless 
the reason why the Seer speaks of the "horns" as 
diademed, instead of the "heads" as in the descrip- 
tion of the dragon in Chapter XII. This seven-headed 
beast is the chief point of connection between the 
Apocalypse and the Book of Daniel. (Cf. Dan. vii.) 

Characteristics of First Beast: — The "sea" im- 
plies universality. It is an element that washes every 
shore, and here represents in a general way the extent 
of Satan's dominion, for we believe that the aim of 
the Seer is to show the source of the beast's inspira- 
tion, the sea being the abode of the dragon, which is 
Satan. The Seer, however, but hints at this now. 
The detailed explanation he leaves to a later chapter. 
We need only say here, accordingly, that all the fea- 
tures of this beast mentioned here point to Rome as 
she is known in history. Like that Empire, this beast 
has the swiftness of a "leopard," the strength of a 
"bear," and the prowess of a "lion." John also saw 
that one of the beast's heads was "wounded unto 
death," which was afterward healed, with the result 
that the world "wondered." The explanation of this 
phenomenon we must defer until we have traversed 
the history of the enemies of God's people. We may 
say at this point, however, that because of the 
"slaughtered head" the beast becomes an object of 
worship with the godless world. This feature gives 
him an outward resemblance to the "slaughtered 
Lamb." (See Chapter V.) A fuller description of this 
beast we reserve until we arrive at Chapter XVII, 
where the Seer reaches a climax in his delineation of 
the Church's enemies. 

The "forty-two months" during which he is to hold 
sway doubtless point to a limited time. Its mention 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 161 



here was intended to console the persecuted Church 
that this condition of things would not last indefin- 
itely. As in the case of the half-hour's silence in 
heaven mentioned in viii : i which we explained as a 
broken whole, so here. Seven means completeness, 
perfection. Forty-two months are three and a half 
years, or the half of seven years ; thus the thought of 
incompleteness or imperfection. All definite periods of 
time mentioned in the Revelation may be interpreted 
on the same principle. But it is not so easy to explain 
why the same length of time is in other instances 
divided into larger or smaller periods. For example, 
the Gentiles are to tread down the holy city (xi: 2), 
and authority given to the beast (xiii: 5), "forty-two 
months" ; while the "two witnesses" are to prophesy 
"1260 days" (xi: 3), and their dead bodies to lie in 
the street "three and a half days" (xi: 9). The 
"Woman" is nourished in the wilderness "1260 days" 
(xii: 6) or "time, and times, and half a time" (xii: 
14). No satisfactory explanation of this peculiarity 
has yet been offered. 

The Seer interjects a comment here. The people 
of God are being banished and killed. These iniqui- 
ties will rebound upon the perpetrators. With what 
measure they mete it shall be measured also to them 
(Matt, vii: 2). "If any one is for captivity, into cap- 
tivity he goes; if any one shall kill with the sword, 
with the sword he must be killed." Here is room for 
the display of "patience" and "faith" on the part of 
the saints. 

Characteristics of Second Beast: — The second 
beast comes up out of the "earth" having two horns 
like a lamb, but speaking like a dragon. Throughout 
this section the Divine Persons and acts are frequently 
caricatured. The evil cause has its "lamb" as well 
as that of the principle opposed to it. But there could 



1 62 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



be no mistaking the hypocrisy. He looked like a 
"lamb," but spoke and acted like a "dragon," exer- 
cising all the authority of the first beast, who is 
Satan's vicegerent. We make no mistake in identify- 
ing this "lamb" with Judaism as the early Church 
knew it not only, but as it is seen throughout the 
whole course of its history with the exception of a 
comparatively few shining examples who gave it lus- 
tre. The "earth" must be regarded as the abode of 
those "whose names are not written in the book of 
life," who worship the beast that comes up out of the 
sea. Therefore the judgments descend on the "earth" 
(viii : 5 and xvi : i) ; under the Seals on a fourth part, 
under the Trumpets on a third part, and under the 
Bowls on all created things. 

The powers of this second beast are analogous to 
those of the two Witnesses of Chapter XL In bring- 
ing fire from heaven to earth, he was doing the very 
thing Christ forbade if attempted in the literal sense. 

There is considerable point to this when we remem- 
ber that the author of the Apocalypse himself once 
wished to exercise this power. The mention of this 
characteristic of the beast is an indication of the 
Seer's present consciousness that the rebuke which 
Christ administered to him on that occasion has had 
its intended effect and the lesson been well learned. 
(See Luke ix : 54.) He also compels all "who dwell on 
the earth to worship the first beast, whose death- 
stroke was healed." This whole description corre- 
sponds with the frequent apostasy of the Jewish na- 
tion in the matter of Baal-worship and the spirit of 
idolatry that so grievously afflicted it. This obliges 
us to regard the first beast as embodying a collective, 
not an individual, history. But more of this when we 
reach the full description of these two enemies. Both 
empires, therefore, the political and the religious, are 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 163 



opposed to God's true people. It would seem as if 
the two beasts with the dragon formed a hellish con- 
trast to the Divine Trinity of i : 4-6. 

Historical Basis of Their Collusion: — Here is in- 
troduced an element of fusion between two fac- 
tions that have nothing in common and secretly hate 
each other. There is an instance recorded in the 
Synoptic Gospels where the Pharisees and the 
Herodians dropped their differences for the time 
in order to crush an "enemy" equally obnoxious to 
both. (Matt, xxii: 15-22 and parallels.) We do 
not doubt that this incident served as the imme- 
diate background for this feature of the vision. 
Christ said that His followers would be treated as 
He was, and perhaps the incongruous collusion be- 
tween the Pharisees and the Herodians was a grim 
prophecy of what awaited His Church on a larger 
and perpetual scale. 

"Mark" of the Beast: — All who will not worship 
the image of this seven-headed beast are put to 
death or otherwise discriminated against, no one 
being able to buy or sell but he that had the "mark, 
the name of the beast, or the number of his name." 
Bringing the interpretation down to the seer's own 
day we would say that Judaism would exalt Rome 
in order to persuade that power to do for it its 
dastardly work, because it was, itself, too weak 
to crush the "heresy" within its own borders. This 
"mark" is a caricature of the "seal" on the fore- 
heads of the redeemed (Ch. VII), a badge in con- 
trast to the "sign upon thine hand" and the "me- 
morial between thine eyes" given to the people of 
God (Exodus xiii : 9; Deut. vi: 8; xi: 18). Con- 
stituents on both sides now have their mark of 
identity. This is a sublime touch. The children 
of God can be distinguished from the children of 



164 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the Evil One (Matt, xiii: Parable of Tares). The 
worshiper becomes like the object of worship 
(Psalm cxv: 8). The "image and superscription" 
we bear tell whose we are. Sin leaves its "mark" 
on the countenance of the evil-doer. Daniel Web- 
ster once said, in addressing a jury, "Crime is its 
own detective." Sin will find the sinner out. 
(Num. xxxii: 23.) It carries the principle of its 
own manifestation. It has a transforming power. 
It will dismantle the most superb and promising 
intellect, unbalance the keenest judgment, enfeeble 
the best memory, paralyze the strongest will, cor- 
rupt the purest imagination. On the other hand, 
the children of God reflect their Father's glory. 
"We with unveiled face reflecting as in a mirror 
the glory of the Lord are changed into the same 
image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the 
Lord" (II Cor. iii: 18). 

His "Name" and "Number": — The closing words 
of Chapter XIII have been very perplexing to many 
people, and various attempts have been made to fix 
upon some historical personage, whose career would 
to a certain extent fit the description of the first beast. 
It is needless to say that all such attempts have failed, 
and must necessarily fail. If sufficient attention had 
been paid to the many analogies of the Book, such 
useless pursuits would have been avoided. We have 
purposely called attention to the various travesties 
on the Divine Persons and acts displayed by the pow- 
ers of evil in these visions — oftener, indeed, than may 
be deemed necessary — in order that the reader may 
avoid the many fallacies into which numberless stu- 
dents of the Book of Revelation have been led. Let 
us bear in mind that there are three things that must 
be distinguished here. Whether they are three dif- 
ferent things, or that all three terms refer to the one 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 165 



thing, is nothing to the point under consideration. 
What the "mark" signifies, we have already seen. 
The "name" can be known only by those who 
worship the "beast." In this they are like the 
righteous, whose "new name" none but themselves 
can understand, (ii: 17.) The interpretation here 
turns on the meaning of the "NUMBER," not on 
the "name" nor the "mark" of the beast. 

To Jewish readers the "number" would be very sig- 
nificant. Seven was the number of perfection. Eight, 
like the "great day" of the Feast which fell on the 
eighth, or the Resurrection on the first day after the 
seven preceding days, signified a new beginning. But 
six fell short of perfection, and the repeating number 
as in this instance, "666" only intensified the conviction 
that the claims of the "beast" were pretentious. He 
had deceived men, but not God, Who had taken His 
correct measure. "He that has understanding" will 
not be deceived by his great pomp and the signs 
wrought by him. His power is but human, his "num- 
ber" is but that of a "man" and not a god, and to 
trust him is to return to the "shadow of Egypt." 
(Isa. xxx : 2.) 

This was full of meaning to the first readers of this 
Book. The seer evidently hopes, judging by the 
phrase with which he introduces this bit of informa- 
tion, to encourage his fellow-believers to continue in 
their fortitude. "Here is wisdom." The beast will 
soon be "weighed in the balance and found wanting." 
(Dan. v: 27.) He will fall short of his purpose. His 
"number" spells failure. "Therefore, my beloved 
brethren, be ye steadfast, for the time of your re- 
demption draweth nigh." (I Cor. xv: 58; Luke xxi; 
28.) 



1 66 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Chapter XIII. 

CONTEMPORARY CHURCH VIEWED 
IDEALLY. 

Revelation xiv. 

And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on 
the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and 
forty and four thousand, having his name, and 
the name of his Father, written on their fore- 
heads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the 
voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great 
thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the 
voice of harpers harping with their harps: and 
they sing as it were a new song before the throne, 
and before the four living creatures and the eld- 
ers : and no man could learn the song save the 
hundred and forty and four thousand, even they 
that had been purchased out of the earth. These 
are they which were not defiled with women ; for 
they are virgins. These are they which follow 
the Lamb w T hithersoever he goeth. These were 
purchased from among men, to be the first fruits 
unto God and unto the Lamb. And in their mouth 
was found no lie : they are without blemish. 

And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, 
having an eternal gospel to proclaim unto them 
that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation 
and tribe and tongue and people: and he saith 
with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory ; 
for the hour of his judgment is come: and wor- 
ship him that made the heaven and the earth and 
sea and fountains of waters. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" i6y 



And another, a second angel, followed, saying, 
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, which hath 
made all the nations to drink of the wine of the 
wrath of her fornication. 

And another angel, a third, followed them, 
saying with a great voice, If any man worship- 
ped the beast and his image, and receiveth a 
mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also 
shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which 
is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and 
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in 
the presence of the holy angels, and in the pres- 
ence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their tor- 
ment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have 
no rest day and night, they that worship the 
beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark 
of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, 
they that keep the commandments of God, and 
the faith of Jesus. 

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, 
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may 
rest from their labors; for their works follow 
with them. 

And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on 
the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, 
having on his head a golden crown, and in his 
hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out 
from the temple, crying with a great voice to him 
that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and 
reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the har- 
vest of the earth is over-ripe. And he that sat on 
the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the 
earth was reaped. 

And another angel came out from the temple 
which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 



1 68 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



And another angel came out from the altar, he 
that hath power over fire ; and he called with a 
great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, say- 
ing, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the 
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes 
are fully ripe. And the angel cast his sickle into 
the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, 
and cast it into the winepress, the great wine- 
press, of the wrath of God. And the wine-press 
was trodden without the city, and there came out 
blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles 
of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hun- 
dred furlongs. 

Teaching of the Vision: — This vision of the 
Lamb with a hundred and forty-four thousand is just 
what we should expect after the word of encourage- 
ment which closes the last chapter. It is intended as 
a consolation to those who are suffering for their 
faith. It is not simply a repetition of the vision of 
Chapter VII. There must be some more cogent rea- 
son for the representation of a like number. We 
explain it as expressing different aspects of the theme 
of the Revelation, the same principle governing both. 
We are just now studying universal principles applied 
to local conditions, and it is only natural that the fig- 
ures of speech and the symbols used in the universal 
features of this great conflict, should also be used to 
enforce the Seer's meaning in the present local aspect. 
While the vision of Chapter VII describes the re- 
deemed of all nations at the end of the age, this vision 
may be regarded as an ideal representation of the 
Christian Church of John's day. The number of 
those who are with the Lamb has the same signifi- 
cance here that it has in the former vision. It is ex- 
pressive of completeness. The universal proportions 
of the earlier vision will help us in our interpretation 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 169 



of the present vision. The arrangement of Chapters 
XIII and XIV is exactly similar to that of Chapters 
VI and VII. As in the universal aspect we view the 
result of the contest upon both the wicked and the 
righteous, so also in the local features we are shown 
the contrast between the followers of the beast and 
the followers of the Lamb. As in the earlier vision, 
the phraseology here is distinctively Hebrew. The 
redeemed number " 144,000," they are on "Mount 
Zion," and they are a "first fruits to God and to the 
Lamb." The arguments that were used in the inter- 
pretation of the former section might very well be 
used here also. The universal character of the Book's 
theme precludes an explanation along racial lines. 
Latitude is the essential thing in the interpretation of 
this phraseology. All national distinctions are lost in 
the unique relationship of Christians to each other and 
to Christ. Yet the Seer undoubtedly had a purpose 
in using Hebrew phraseology as a vehicle of univer- 
sal truth. The primacy of Israel with regard to the 
order in which the gospel should be heard by the 
nations of the world was never absent for any length 
of time from his mind. We must, therefore, take into 
consideration the local conditions and the questions 
that would be raised regarding the ancient religion.. 
The local churches with which John was familiar, and 
which looked to him for guidance, contained many con- 
verts from the ancient faith who were by no means 
ready as yet to let go entirely of the religion of their 
fathers. The fate of Judaism was clearer to the Seer 
than to any of those for whom his words were pri- 
marily intended. The fact that this incident follows 
so quickly upon the vision of the horned lamb that 
spake like a dragon, makes it extremely probable that 
these two features are mutually related. 



170 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Marks of Indentity: — Involved in this general 
explanation therefore is the answer to that question 
that must have been often asked in the Seer's day, 
What of the future of Judaism and the Temple? The 
Book of Acts and Paul's Letter to the Galatians show 
the tenacity with which many of the converted Jews 
clung to the old rites and customs. The Apostles 
themselves had to exercise considerable tact in dealing 
with their former co-religionists and observe feasts 
and rites (Acts xvi: 3, and xxi: 20-26), in which they 
no longer had any personal interest, lest they wound 
the susceptibilities of brethren who had not yet en- 
tirely released their hold on the ancient religion. Con- 
sequently, "Mount Zion" is the heavenly Jerusalem 
contrasted with "Babylon" (verse 8) the earthly. The 
"hundred and forty-four thousand" include the Jews 
who have embraced the Christian religion. The an- 
swer to the above question is that the true and faith- 
ful Israelites are merged in the Christian Church, 
while the apostate must suffer the consequences of 
their rejection of Christ and their attachment to the 
beast. Thus Judaism passes away. 

The Gospel's Appeal: — After this, the apostle 
saw "another angel flying in mid-heaven having the 
eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the 
earth," i. e., the followers of the beast. Included 
among these are, of course, the misled Jews. Another 
opportunity is mercifully given them. Once more are 
they appealed to, to turn from the wrath about to 
descend on them and their city. They are under the 
influence of the dragon, and when they have abetted 
him to accomplish his purpose he will turn and rend 
them. The "eternal gospel" is the gospel which they 
have all along rejected, the gospel which Christ pro- 
claimed, the gospel which Paul and John had preached 
to them, "eternal" because God's Lamb had been 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



"slain from the foundation of the world" (xiii: 8), 
because it existed in the Heart of God before the world 
was made (Eph. i : 4, etc.), "eternal" because it never 
can be superseded by any other gospel, and because 
Christ is the finality of Faith. (Jude 3.) Instead of 
worshiping the beast they are enjoined to "give glory 
to God because the hour of His judgment is come." 
This is a plain statement as to what the gospel com- 
prises. Surely its proclamation involves the function 
of warning. There is a "wrath to come." It has many 
harbingers. For one of these the "hour" was about to 
strike. The impending destruction of Jerusalem was 
the great catastrophe that was the immediate incentive 
to the writing of the Revelation. 

"Babylon": — Another, a second, angel announces 
the fall of "Babylon." That this is Jerusalem we need 
not question. The Seer is in keeping with the sym- 
bolic principle that has governed him throughout, 
when he refrains from giving the Capital city of Judea 
its proper name. In Chapter XI he called it Sodom 
and Egypt, but left no doubt as to its identity by add- 
ing that it was the city where "the Lord was crucified." 
As these were names applied to it "spiritually" (xi : 8), 
we need not hesitate to accept the evident logic of the 
case that here also he refers to Jerusalem. If further 
proof were necessary, we have it in the avowed cause 
of the city's fall — she "made all nations drink of the 
wine of the wrath of her fornication." Throughout 
the Old Testament, fornication is spoken of in the 
sense of religious unfaithfulness. Of no city but Jeru- 
salem would the prophets speak thus. Other cities 
and states were denounced because of their sins, in 
plain terms ; but the figure of fornication or adultery 
was applied only to the city that had been betrothed to 
God. No details of this "fall" are given at present. 
The Seer merely touches on the subject here to return 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



to it in climactic force in the judgments of the Bowls 
in Chapter XVI. That this is characteristic of John's 
method was pointed out in Chapter VIII. 

Wind and Whirlwind: — A third angel threatens 
all who worship the beast with the "cup of wrath." 
The severity of this language should not perturb us. 
It is not directed toward those who are sick of sin, 
and who, seeing the "error of their ways" desire to 
change the mode of their lives, but toward those who 
pose as leaders in religion; in short, those who have 
become apostate to the religion of the prophets. They 
sowed the wind and have veritably reaped the whirl- 
wind. (Hos. viii : 7.) 

In Chapter XIII we saw that the second "beast," 
which represents Judaism, compelled all to worship 
the image of the FIRST beast, no one being able to 
buy or sell but those who had the mark on the right 
hand or forehead. Here we are shown the results of 
the oppression of the "beast having two horns like a 
lamb." Its sin proved to be a boomerang. Thus is 
rewarded "the patience of the saints." They have 
"seen their desire on their enemies." 

Contrasted Issues: — Then a voice from heaven is 
heard saying, "Write, Happy are the dead who die in 
the Lord, henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they 
may rest from their labors, for their works follow 
them." These will be dying for the Faith and will 
receive the blessing of God. Those who persist in 
worshiping the beast will experience eternal "death." 
The issues of these different attitudes are contrasted 
here. Those who worship the beast suffer the "wrath 
of God" ; they have no "rest" day or night. The mar- 
tyrs to the faith "rest" from their labors. Here the 
seer presents the attitude of the Jews toward the gos- 
pel, as in Chapter XI he describes their attitude 
toward the Law and the Prophets. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Anticipatory Judgment of "Babylon," or Jeru- 
salem: — Next John saw a white cloud and on it 
sat one like "a son of man" with a golden crown and 
a sharp sickle. An angel comes out of the Temple, 
i. e., from the very presence of God, and hence his 
authority to direct the Son to cast His sickle and 
reap. "Another angel came forth out of the temple 
which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle." 
Then an angel comes out from the altar "having 
authority over fire." He calls to the angel with the 
sickle to reap the grapes and cast them into the "wine- 
press of the wrath of God" situated outside the city. 

This is a double rendering of the same truth. The 
"son of man" is in reality the Judge, but the actual 
work of administering punishment is represented as 
being wrought by the angel. Though the "son of 
man" and the "angel" are differentiated in the narra- 
tive, we should not separate them in our thought. 

This account bears the same relation to the dignity 
of Christ as the whole of the Revelation. This, it will 
be recalled, as we are told in the very first words of 
the Book, was signified to John through Christ's An- 
gel. What this "angel" said or did must be associated 
in our minds with nothing other than that CHRIST 
said or did it. As in the Old Testament we read that 
Jehovah sent His Angel to administer His decrees, so 
here in the Revelation Christ is represented as having 
his mandates executed through His Angel. Hence this 
two-fold description. It is a highly-colored reflection 
of Isaiah lxiii: 1-6. 

To what does it refer? Wrested from its connec- 
tion, the first impression it gives is that it is a strik- 
ingly realistic account of the Last Judgment. But if 
our analysis of the Book is correct, it cannot be so 
regarded. Placed as it is between the rise of the sec- 
ond "beast" in Chapter XIII, and the destruction of 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



what that beast represents as recorded in Chapter 
XVII, it is necessary to confine this judgment to Jeru- 
salem. This interpretation receives strong confirma- 
tion in the fact that it is the "earth" that is reaped. 
Bearing in mind that the two-horned beast came up 
out of the "earth" while the seven-headed beast arose 
out of the sea, a figure of the nations generally, we 
cannot resist the conclusion that this judgment is 
restricted to Judaism ; and is a spectacular prediction 
of the impending fall of the "city" (verse 20). The 
same truth is repeated in another form in xvi : 1, where 
the seven angels are directed to "pour out the seven 
bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." The detailed 
action of each angel is but the fulfilment of this gen- 
eral order. Thus already we have a hint that the last 
series of judgments primarily concerns Jerusalem. To 
refer to the illustration already used, the Seer like the 
musician has again made prominent his theme as he 
leads on to the grand climax. So in Chapter XIV we 
have visions both of the redeemed contemporaneous 
with John, and of the fate of the persistently apostate. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 175 



Chapter XIV. 

HARBINGERS OF JUDGMENT. 

Revelation xv-xvi. 

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and 
marvelous, seven angels having seven plagues, 
which are the last, for in them is finished the 
wrath of God. 

And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with 
fire; and them that come victorious from the 
beast, and from his image, and from the number 
of his name, standing by the glassy sea, having 
harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, 
the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, 
saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O 
Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are 
thy ways, thou King of the ages. Who shall not 
fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou 
only art holy; for all the nations shall come and 
worship before thee ; for thy righteous acts have 
been made manifest. 

And after these things I saw, and the temple of 
the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was 
opened: and there came out from the temple the 
seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed 
with precious stone, pure and bright, and girt 
about their breasts with golden girdles. And one 
of the four living creatures gave unto the seven 
angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of 
God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the tem- 
ple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, 
and from his power; and none was able to enter 



i;6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven 
angels should be finished. 

And I heard a great voice out of the temple, 
saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out 
the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the 
earth. 

And the first went, and poured out his bowl 
into the earth ; and it became a noisome and griev- 
ous sore upon the men which had the mark of the 
beast, and which worshipped his image. 

And the second poured out his bowl into the 
sea; and it became blood as of a dead man; and 
every living soul died, even the things that were 
in the sea. 

And the third poured out his bowl into the 
rivers and the fountains of the waters; and it 
became blood. And I heard the angel of the 
waters saying, Righteous art thou, which art and 
which wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst 
thus judge: for they poured out the blood of 
saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given 
them to drink : they are worthy. And I heard the 
altar saying, Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty, 
true and righteous are thy judgments. 

And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the 
sun ; and it was given unto it to scorch men with 
fire. And men were scorched with great heat: 
and they blasphemed the name of the God which 
hath the power over these plagues; and they 
repented not to give him glory. 

And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the 
throne of the beast; and his kingdom was dark- 
ened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 
and they blasphemed the God of heaven because 
of their pains and their sores; and they repented 
not of their works. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the 
great river, the river Euphrates; and the water 
thereof was dried up, that the way might be made 
ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. 
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, 
and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the 
mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, 
as it were frogs : for they are spirits of devils, 
working signs; which go forth unto the kings of 
the whole world, to gather them together unto 
the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 
(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that 
watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk 
naked, and they see his shame.) And they gath- 
ered them together into the place which is called 
in Hebrew Har-Magedon. 

And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the 
air ; and there came forth a great voice out of the 
temple, from the throne, saying, It is done: and 
there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; 
and there was a great earthquake, such as was 
not since there were men upon the earth, so great 
an earthquake, so mighty. And the great city was 
divided into three parts, and the cities of the na- 
tions fell : and Babylon the great was remembered 
in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of 
the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every 
island fled away, and the mountains were not 
found. And great hail, every stone about the 
weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven 
upon men : and men blasphemed God because of 
the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is 
exceeding great. 

It is very evident that we are drawing to a 
climax. 

The apostle sees a "sign * * * great and marvelous, 



178 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



seven angels having seven plagues, which are the 
last, for in them is finished the wrath of God." 

The Victors: — Standing by a glassy se,a mingled 
with fire are those who "come victorious from the 
beast." They sing the "song of Moses * * * and the 
song of the Lamb." This is a point not to be over- 
looked, for the fact that they sing the "song of Moses" 
as well as that of the "Lamb" is a mark of identity. 
Evidently the redeemed of this vision are the same as 
those of Chapter XIV, namely, Jewish and Gentile 
Christians contemporaneous with the seer. Thus in 
Christ, "there is neither Jew nor Greek * * * for all 
are one." (Gal. iii: 28.) 

The reference to "fire" in the "glassy sea" may be 
explained as representing the trials through which 
they passed. In iv : 6 it is a sea, as it were, "of glass" 
only. Now, of "fire" also. There, the basis of the 
vision doubtless was the Temple laver; here, appar- 
ently, the suggestion comes from the narrative of 
Israel's escape from Egyptian bondage, Pharaoh be- 
ing regarded as the Dragon's agent. The "sea of 
glass mingled with fire" reflects the thought of the 
Red Sea, "which appears on fire as the Sun of Right- 
eousness arises upon it, on the margin of which the 
true Israelites sing the song of Moses and of the sav- 
ing Lamb." Standing on its shores are seen those who 
are delivered from the beast's sway as the Israelites 
were, in their exodus from the land of Pharaoh. 

It will be noticed that the contemporary aspect of 
this struggle is described along the lines of the main 
theme of the Book, In the GENERAL features be- 
fore we meet the actual clash, so to speak, of the con- 
tending parties we are directed to the Church in its 
heavenly character (Chapter V). In the course of the 
conflict mention is made of martyrs, the "souls under 
the altar" (Chapter VI). So in the description of the 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 179 



LOCAL features of the struggle we meet with the 
ideal representation of the Church in John's day 
(Chapter XIV), while in the section we are consider- 
ing we are introduced to those who suffered death, or 
persecution under other forms, for their principles. 

The Angels of the Plagues: — The seven angels 
next come out of the Temple and receive the bowls 
containing the plagues. The angels are "girded about 
the breasts with golden girdles/' In the description 
of the "Son of Man, in Chapter I we noticed that this 
was a mark of priestly prerogative. The statement 
following that of the angels receiving the bowls is sig- 
nificant. We are told that "the temple was filled with 
smoke from the glory of God * * * and that no one 
was able to enter into the Temple until the seven 
plagues * * * should be finished." 

Rather than anticipate what will later be made 
plainer, we prefer to ask the reader to bear this last 
quotation in mind until we reach the end of the 
Plagues. 

A "great voice" directs these angels to "pour the 
seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." The 
pouring of these plagues continues throughout Chap- 
ter XVI. It will be noticed that all these are reflec- 
tions of the past history of God's dealings with the 
enemies of His people, particularly the Egyptians and 
the Philistines. 

This Book recognizes the struggle for supremacy 
between Good and Evil in the time it was written, as 
a part of the AGE-LONG battle. John and his con- 
temporaries were simply doing what noble souls in 
every generation have been obliged to do. Righteous- 
ness is an exotic; it is not "native to the soil"; and it 
is only by constant care and attention that it can thrive. 
Therefore, the continual reference in the Revelation 
to the transactions of former ages need not surprise 



180 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

us if we bear this fact in mind. Those events serve 
as a background for a representation of the struggle 
in every age. 

The Seven Plagues: — The first angel poured out 
his bowl "into the earth" with the result that a "noi- 
some and grievous sore" came upon those who wor- 
shipped the image of the beast. 

The second poured his "into the sea," the waters of 
which became blood, killing the denizens of the deep. 
A third angel pours out his bowl "into the rivers and 
fountains," which were turned into blood. This brings 
from "the angel of the waters" an exclamation of 
praise to "the Righteous and Holy One." Those who 
worshipped the beast had "poured out the blood of 
saints and prophets," and now God had "given them 
blood to drink." The "altar" representing the sacrifice 
of the saints adds its "Amen, Even so" to what the 
angel of the waters had said. There is a close con- 
nection between the statements of the "angel of the 
waters" and the "altar." The latter signifies the 
slaughter of saints and prophets, and both rejoice in 
the judgment upon their murderers. 

The fourth angel poured out his bowl "on the sun," 
which scorched men with fire, but they repented not. 
The fifth bowl is poured out "on the throne of the 
beast, and his kingdom became darkened, and they 
gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the 
God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores ; 
and they repented not of their works." (Cf. xi: 13.) 

The sixth bowl prepares us for the climax con- 
tained in the seventh. It is poured out "upon the 
great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried 
up, that the way of the kings, who come from the ris- 
ing of the sun, might be prepared." This description 
is regarded by some as having been borrowed from the 
capture of Babylon by Cyrus, who effected his con- 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 181 



quest by diverting the waters of the Euphrates. The 
imagery also suggests the passage of the Red Sea or 
the Jordan as the historical basis of the vision. Ration- 
alistic interpreters here drag in a reputed legend said 
to be in vogue in the author's day to the effect that 
Nero would return from the dead and lead a host of 
Parthians to sack Rome. This legend arose from a 
rumor that gained credence that he was not really 
dead, but had fled to the East, whence he would return 
and seek vengeance on Rome. The rumor later rip- 
ened into a belief in his resurrection for the above 
stated purpose. This, they say, is the meaning of the 
words, "And one of his heads (i. e. the beasts) was 
wounded unto death, and his death-stroke was healed" 
(xiii: 3). But is it probable that the author would 
make use of such a story and place any credence what- 
ever in it, in view of his statement in the beginning 
concerning the significance of his message and his cre- 
dentials? We cannot believe it and we do not think 
this is the meaning of his statement concerning the 
expedition from the East. We believe that the "kings" 
referred to in the sixth bowl have to do with the sev- 
eral expeditions from Assyria and Babylonia to Pales- 
tine. Israel's experience with the great Eastern Pow- 
ers is referred to in this place to prepare us for the 
account of Jerusalem's fall in A. D. 70. 

False Prophet Identified: — "Three unclean spir- 
its like frogs" come out of the mouths of the dragon, 
the beast and the "false prophet," which latter is an- 
other title for the second "beast" of Chapter XIII. 
This new title confirms the opinion expressed at that 
point, that this beast represented tlie religious power, 
viz.: Judaism. "And he does great signs, so that he 
makes fire even come down out of heaven on the earth 
in the sight of men" (xiii: 13). Compare this state- 
ment with xi : 5, where Elijah as the representative of 



182 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the ''Prophets" is depicted as calling down fire from 
heaven. This certainly marks the identity of the 
FALSE prophet. The second beast and the false 
prophet are one and the same. The false prophet 
travesties the true to gain a following. 

These frogs are ''spirits of demons, working signs, 
which go forth upon the kings of the whole habitable 
earth, to gather them to the battle of the great day of 
God, the Almighty." This "battle" is named Har- 
magedon, from Megiddo, made famous from the de- 
feat of Josiah, But the place is mentioned here not 
solely because of that unhappy event, but because of 
an earlier victory of the kings of Canaan. (II Kings 
xxiii: 29; II Chron. xxxv: 22; Zech. xii: 11; Jud. v: 

i 9 .) 

The prophetic principle is maintained here, but the 
method of application is reversed for an obvious rea- 
son. The universal element is mentioned first, in 
order that the primary features of this judgment may 
be elaborated. 

Nature of the Conflict Determines Author's 
Method: — Before reference is made to the remain- 
ing bowl, it may be necessary to say that as with the 
Seals and Trumpets, we must not look for any his- 
torical verification of the judgment of the bowls. This 
is not history but symbolism. The whole series is an 
intensified description of what occurred in the history 
of ancient Israel, but here everything has been por- 
trayed on the most general lines. It may be asked why 
the seer should describe imaginary scenes, why, if this 
is not historical, should he have attempted any de- 
scription? The answer lies in the character of the 
warfare he is depicting. It is a conflict of spiritual 
forces, and, that his readers may understand, he de- 
scribes it in terms of the tangible. Before the seventh 
angel pours out his bowl, the Lord speaks. "Behold, 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 183 



I come as a thief." When this was poured out "on the 
air" a great voice out of the Temple from the Throne 
said, "It is done." 

Anticipations of Christ's Second Coming: — 

Throughout the Apocalypse we are constantly re- 
minded that the matter with which it deals issues in 
the final Coming of Christ. To four out of "the seven 
Churches of Asia" Christ threatens to come in judg- 
ment, while in the epistle to Loadicea He is "at the 
door." (See Chapters II and III.) All the judgments 
described in this Book have some bearing on that 
event, while the author distinctly informs us that these 
plagues "are the last" ; they belong to the time of the 
End. They accordingly fall not on the fourth part 
of the earth as under the Seals, nor on the third part 
as under the Trumpets, but on all created things, as 
if the events of the preceding visions are in these 
taken up and completed. Thus in vi: 17 we read of the 
End, in xi: 18 we are told that the judgment of the 
dead is come, and in xvi : 17 that "it is done." The sec- 
ond, third and sixth Bowls are analogous with the sec- 
ond, third, and sixth Trumpets, the seventh Bowl be- 
ing parallel to the sixth Seal. But he who does not 
see that this ultimate event is heralded by many har- 
bingers is blind, indeed. (See end of Chapter II.) 
This vision of the plagues has an immediate and a 
future application. The immediate reference is to the 
judgment of the Jewish nation in the destruction of 
Jerusalem, but room is left in the account for a wider 
reach of thought. Indeed, so clearly is the city's fall 
the burden of the apostle's mind, that the narrative 
from this on to the end of Chapter XIX is devoted to 
it in its several phases. A consideration of the details 
will be left to later chapters. Meanwhile, it is only 
necessary to remind the reader of what has been said 
concerning the relation of this last plague to the six 



184 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

preceding ones, and the relation of the series of Bowls 
to the Trumpets and Seals. (See in Chapter IX.) That 
the seventh bowl is climactic in its importance as well 
as in its chronological order, is manifest in its effects, 
and by the words introducing the series, "Which are the 
last, because in them is finished the wrath of God" 
( Chapter xv : i ) . Thus we may picture these series 
of judgments which together form the core of the 
Book, as a great banyan tree, the seventh Seal being 
the branch giving root to the Trumpets, the seventh of 
which in turn gives root to the series of Bowls. 

Similarity of Judgments: — The striking similar- 
ity between them, especially the Trumpets and Bowls, 
is worthy of consideration. Several writers regard 
this as illustrating the principle of "Recapitulation" 
first suggested by Mede. On this principle they ac- 
count for the three-fold description of world judg- 
ments, by regarding the Seal as the emblem of an 
event still secret but decreed by God, the Trumpet 
sounded as manifesting the will that the Divine decree 
should be speedily accomplished; and the poured-out 
Bowl as the symbol of that decree identified with its 
execution. It is to be noticed that they are not con- 
tinuous but resumptive. There could be no object in 
this repetition except that set forth in this work, 
namely, that the author begins his subject in its widest 
outlook and narrows it down to his own times. 

Reiteration: — To make our meaning clear, we 
venture to reiterate. The Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls 
represent three climactic events in the world's history. 
The book with the seven seals naturally suggests the 
history of the world symbolically set forth, the myste- 
ries of which remain with Christ, Who alone can open 
it. The description of the sixth seal leaves no doubt 
that in the mind of the author it depicts the Last 
Judgment. The first six seals cover the whole gamut 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 185 



of human history. The seventh seal is the connecting 
link between what has already been described and that 
which is to follow, thus giving the reader a hint that 
as the author has swept the widest circle possible, he 
is now going to deal with events that lie nearer his 
own time. We thus begin to see his purpose. The 
last trumpet has as its object the delineation of the 
Incarnation, and as this with its concomitants, the Cru- 
cifixion and Ascension, fills up the Divine purpose as 
regards specifically the Hebrew people, we may cor- 
rectly infer that the series of Trumpets sets forth the 
National or Redemptive aspect of the author's theme. 
Once more the circle is narrowed. The remaining 
series, namely, the Bowls, climactically considered, has 
reference to the impending fall of Jerusalem. Hence 
we have called this the local aspect. We must not be 
understood, however, as excluding even from this 
series the ultimate application to be made of all the 
judgments described in the Revelation. (See Chapter 
VII.) So that in the setting of the three series of 
judgments we have an inverted parallelism; the one 
line of thought beginning at the farthest reaches, 
namely, the Final Judgment and ending with the local 
judgment, the destruction of Jerusalem; the other be- 
ginning at this point and involving the prophecy of the 
Final Judgment. 

Priesthood of Believers: — The meaning of xv: 8 
may now be plainer. "No one was able to enter into 
the Temple until the seven plagues should be finished." 
The Temple stood for an idea. While it was in exist- 
ence, (at least this was true until Christ's completed 
work) the priesthood was restrictive. The rending of 
the veil at the time of the Crucifixion symbolized the 
removal of every restriction toward a larger priest- 
hood — the priesthood of all believers. Now, there- 



186 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



fore, that the seven plagues are "finished," and fin- 
ished with them Judaism as a force, we, as believers 
in Christ, are permitted to minister in the priests' 
office. (See on i: 6 in Chapter II.) 



Chapter XV. 

JUDGMENT OF THE HARLOT. 

Revelation xvii-xviii. 

And there came one of the seven angels that 
had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, 
Come hither, I will shew thee the judgment of 
the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 
with whom the kings of the earth committed for- 
nication, and they that dwell in the earth were 
made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wil- 
derness : and I saw a woman sitting upon a scar- 
let-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, 
having seven heads and ten horns. And the 
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and 
decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, 
having in her hand a golden cup full of abomina- 
tions, even the unclean things of her fornication, 
and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, 
Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots and 
of the Abominations of the Earth. And I saw the 
woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and 
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when 
I saw her, I w T ondered with a great wonder. And 
the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 187 



wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the 
woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which 
hath the seven heads and the ten horns. The 
beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is 
about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into 
perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall 
wonder, they whose name hath not been written 
in the book of life from the foundation of the 
world, when they behold the beast, how that he 
was, and is not, and shall come. Here is the 
mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are 
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth: 
and they are seven kings ; the five are fallen, the 
one is, the other is not yet come; and when he 
cometh, he must continue a little while. And the 
beast that was, and is not, is himself also an 
eighth, and is of the seven ; and he goeth into per- 
dition. And the ten horns that thou sawest are 
ten kings, which have received no kingdom as 
yet; but they receive authority as kings, with 
the beast, for one hour. These have one mind, 
and they give their power and authority unto the 
beast. These shall war against the Lamb, and the 
Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of 
lords, and King of kings ; and they also shall over- 
come that are with him, called and chosen and 
faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters 
which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are 
peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 
And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the 
beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make 
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, 
and shall burn her utterly with fire. For God did 
put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to 
one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the 
beast, until the words of God should be accom- 



188 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

plished. And the woman whom thou sawest is 
the great city, which reigneth over the kings of 
the earth. 

After these things I saw another angel coming 
down out of heaven, having great authority; and 
the earth was lightened with his glory. And he 
cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is 
Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of 
devils, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a 
hold of every unclean and hateful bird. For by 
the wine of wrath of her fornication all the na- 
tions are fallen ; and the kings of the earth com- 
mitted fornication with her, and the merchants of 
the earth waxed rich by the power of her wan- 
tonness. 

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 
Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have 
no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive 
not of her plagues: for her sins have reached 
even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her 
iniquities. Render unto her even as she rendered, 
and double unto her the double according to her 
works : in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto 
her double. How much soever she glorified her- 
self, and waxed wanton, so much give her of tor- 
ment and mourning : for she saith in her heart, I 
sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise 
see mourning. Therefore in one day shall her 
plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; 
and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for 
strong is the Lord God which judged her. And 
the kings of the earth, who committed fornication 
and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail 
over her, when they look upon the smoke of her 
burning, standing afar off for the fear of her tor- 
ment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 189 



the strong city ! for in one hour is thy judgment 
come. And the merchants of the earth weep and 
mourn over her, for no man buyeth their mer- 
chandise any more; merchandise of gold and sil- 
ver and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, 
and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine 
wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel 
made of most precious wood, and of brass, and 
iron, and marble; and cinnamon, and spice, and 
incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and 
wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cat- 
tle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and 
chariots and slaves; and souls of men. And the 
fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from 
thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptu- 
ous are perished from thee, and men shall find 
them no more at all. The merchants of these 
things, who were made rich by her, shall stand 
afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and 
mourning; saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she 
that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scar- 
let, and decked with gold and precious stone and 
pearl ! for in one hour so great riches is made des- 
olate. And every shipmaster, and every one that 
saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as 
gain their living by sea, stood afar off, and cried 
out as they looked upon the smoke of her burn- 
ing, saying, What city is like the great city? And 
they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping 
and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, 
wherein were made rich all that had their ships 
in the sea by reason of her costliness ! for in one 
hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, 
thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and 
ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment 
on her. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a 
great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, 
Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great 
city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at 
all. And the voice of harpers and minstrels and 
flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no 
more at all in thee ; and no craftsman, of whatso- 
ever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee ; 
and the voice of a millstone shall be heard no more 
at all in thee ; and the light of a lamp shall shine 
no more at all in thee ; and the voice of the bride- 
groom and of the bride shall be heard no more 
at all in thee ; for thy merchants were the princes 
of the earth ; for with thy sorcery were all the 
nations deceived. And in her was found the blood 
of prophets and of saints, and of all that have 
been slain upon the earth. 

Issue of the Plagues Amplified : — The climax, to 
which we referred in the beginning of the last chap- 
ter as approaching, has been reached in the last or 
seventh bowl. But the matter is so important that the 
general reference to it among other things at the close 
of Chapter XVI does not suffice. This one event is 
singled out from among the others, and the seer de- 
votes these two chapters exclusively to its considera- 
tion. 

John is taken by one of the angels that poured out 
the Bowls to be shown the judgment of the great har- 
lot "that sits on many waters." What he sees is "a 
woman sitting on a scarlet beast." The beast had 
seven heads and ten horns, the woman was clothed in 
purple and scarlet, and on her forehead a name writ- 
ten, "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the 
Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth." 

Relation of Chapters XIII and XVII:— We are 
prepared to maintain that these two creatures are 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 191 

exaggerated representations of the two beasts of 
Chapter XIII. The precedence of the heads of this 
beast over the horns, in contradistinction from the or- 
der of Chapter XIII, is determined by the seer's view- 
point. There, it will be remembered, John saw it ris- 
ing out of the sea, and, of course, it was the horns of 
the beast that would appear first. But here he sees 
it in the "wilderness," and he accordingly gives the 
order of nature. 

Two-Horned Beast and Woman: — But why in 

the case of the second beast of Chapter XIII, should 
there be a transformation to a "woman" in Chapter 
XVII ? The answer lies in the peculiar position which 
Jerusalem held in the realm of religion. Her dis- 
loyalty to Jehovah is spoken of in terms of a faithless 
wife. She had had many "lovers." The word "har- 
lot" is used at least fifty times to describe her spiritual 
fornication, i. e., the corrupt doctrine and practice of 
Israel and Judah. Such is its import in eighteen places 
out of twenty-one where the figure occurs. It is the 
prophetical emblem of God's people who had forsaken 
Him. In three places only is the word applied to 
heathen cities, namely, Isa. xxiii: 15, 16, to Tyre; 
Nahum iii : 4, to Nineveh. In order to emphasize this 
truth, it was necessary to describe Judaism in this 
way, for in the seer's thought Jerusalem and Judaism 
are interchangeable terms. 

Identification of "Woman and Beast": — We are 
not left in the dark as to the identity of these crea- 
tures. "The woman which thou sawest is the great 
city which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth" 
(xvii: 18). No other city than Jerusalem could be 
spoken of as "drunken with the blood of the saints, 
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (xvii: 6). 
"The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and is 
about to come up out of the abyss and to go into per- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



dition. And they will wonder who dwell on the earth 
* * * when they see the beast, that he was and is not, 
and shall come." 

In Chapter XIII this same beast is spoken of as 
having one of his heads wounded unto death, and that 
the deadly wound was healed. It should be noted 
that in each instance the "wonder" arises in contem- 
plation of his revivified state. This beast, which rep- 
resents the world-power, at this time centred in Rome, 
is not a single entity, but the collective force of the 
world-spirit in general. This will be clearer as we 
proceed, "The seven heads are seven mountains." 
They are also "seven kings, the five are fallen, the one 
is, the other is not yet come." These seven mountains 
or kings are the manifestations of the beast (which, 
it must be remembered, is Satan's vicegerent) in suc- 
cessive eras of oppression suffered by the people of 
God. Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, and Greece 
are the first five. Rome is the sixth, and it "is" in 
John's day. The seventh will come when the Roman 
Empire has disintegrated. The "ten horns, which 
are ten kings," are another designation for the sev- 
enth head (xvii: 12, 13). They are the various forces 
of evil manifested throughout the Christian era. Their 
antitypes are seen in the nations that subverted the 
Western Empire and settled on its territory, followed 
nearly one thousand years later by the capture of Con- 
stantinople by Mohammed II and the establishment 
of the Turkish Empire in Europe, in which event we 
see the dissolution of Rome's Eastern Empire. 

"And the beast that was, and is not, he also is an 
eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition." 
The "beast" is not acting for himself, but for another. 
This other is Satan, who is the "eighth." This will 
be seen more clearly when we reach Chapter XX, 
where the Apostle's explanation leaves no doubt 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



respecting the identity of these evil powers. 

This much we venture to express as the immediate 
teaching at this point. But there are also broader out- 
lines of truth here. To present these it will be neces- 
sary once more to call attention to John's method of 
developing the various features of his thesis. This we 
have likened to the musician who recurs again and 
again to his theme, gradually working to a grand 
climax. 

This method we find in the seer's description of the 
forces of evil. The first embodiment of the evil Prin- 
ciple is met in the "beast that comes up out of the 
abyss" (xi: 7), which is the same as the "star fallen 
out of heaven" (ix: 1), and the "angel of the abyss" 
(ix: 11), its chief manifestation being the "dragon" 
which attempts to "devour the man-child" (xii). Fail- 
ing in his attempt, "he went away to make war with 
the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of 
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." The 
"woman" and "the rest of her seed" we have explained 
as the Church of the Old and New Testaments respec- 
tively. 

We see nothing more of the "dragon" as such. 
Henceforth the warfare is carried on by means of 
secondary agencies. 

But that he is the inspirer of all the activities of 
the powers of evil we are assured. 

The next manifestation of the "dragon" is that of 
a beast rising out of the sea, to whom he gives his 
authority, but that his is the master hand is evidenced 
by the fact that he is worshiped because he gave his 
authority to the beast (xiii: 4). The immediate agent 
at that time was Rome. Between this "beast" which 
represents Rome and the second "beast" representing 
Judaism, there is collusion. In Chapter xvii these evil 
principles are brought to a climax. Therefore in the 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



interpretation of this chapter we must not lose sight 
of the "dragon." It is for him that this "beast" with 
the seven heads and ten horns acts. And we are not 
left in doubt respecting the identity of the "dragon." 
"And the great dragon was cast down, the old ser- 
pent, he that is called the Devil and Satan" (xii: 9). 
Satan is the £enus ; the "dragon" and the two "beasts" 
the species. 

The meaning, then, is that Satan has had his repre- 
sentatives in the powers Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Per- 
sia, Greece, Rome, and the "ten horns" which occupy 
the place of the seventh head. We must give to the 
number seven in this instance, also, the same signifi- 
cance attached to it in the rest of the Book. The 
"seven heads" are but the one head. In short, what 
we have here is a compendious history of Satan. Now 
perhaps we are able to understand the statement con- 
cerning the first beast of Chapter XIII, which is the 
same as that of Chapter XVII, to the effect that "one 
of his heads was smitten to death. And his death- 
stroke was healed." 

The "Deadly Wound" Recurrent: — This is equiv- 
lent to the statement of xvii : 8, "that he was, and is 
not, and shall come." The latter helps to explain the 
former. 

We must not try to conceive of a beast with seven 
heads at one time. This description merely represents 
the collective power of the enemy of righteousness. 
The "deadly wound" was not a single but a recurrent 
experience. Reference is made to the successive rise 
and fall of each of the powers mentioned above. What 
made the people "wonder" was that another should 
rise upon the ruins of the fallen empire. Egypt flour- 
ished and decayed, the beast "was, and is not" to use 
the Scripture expression ; but the powers of evil were 
later concentrated in Assyria and the rest, each of 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



which had the same experience. In the fall of each 
empire "one of his (the beast's) heads was as it were 
smitten to death" and in the rise of its successor "his 
death-stroke was healed" (xiii: 3). Here again is an- 
other instance of the principle for which we have con- 
tended, namely, that the theme of the Revelation cov- 
ers the whole range of the Kingdom of God. 

As in most of the seer's predictions, there is a PAR- 
TICULAR as well as a general application here. We 
believe that John is speaking primarily of Jerusalem 
and Rome as he knew them. He wished to set forth 
Rome's perfidy as the fruit of Jerusalem's compro- 
mise. The latter stood for the spiritual, and her fate 
is an eternal warning as to what they who are guilty 
of this wrong may expect. 

Rome's Perfidy: — "The beast was, is not, and 
shall come." We have considered this statement in its 
widest reach. But there is also a practical lesson here. 
A little reflection will make it clear. Judaism and 
Rome were at one in the persecution of God's true 
people. It is well known that Rome catered to the 
prejudices of the Jews to keep them passive in their 
vassalage. She learned this only after bitter experi- 
ence. In the beginning of Rome's domination, the 
Jews learned that "the beast was." Now, he acts as 
if he "is not." He has hoodwinked the "woman" into 
believing that her cause is his, and so she uses his 
great power to carry out her purposes. But his perfidy 
will soon be unmasked, and she shall learn that he is 
again "to come." Thus the "dragon," who is the mov- 
ing spirit in all this transaction, makes the "woman" 
feel that she "sits as a queen." But the price she pays 
is her destruction. 

The seer's mind doubtless reverts to the wicked 
partnership between the Roman power and a degener- 



i 9 6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



ate Judaism for the perpetration of the darkest deed in 
history. 

They combined to "make war on the lamb," but the 
partnership did not last long. The destruction of 
Jerusalem came, which he next proceeds to describe. 

This description is based on the narrative of Baby- 
lon's desolation (Isa. xiii: 19-22). It is significant 
that the city is "burned." Fornication was her crown- 
ing sin, and death by burning was the punishment pre- 
scribed for it under the Law of Moses. (Lev. xxi: 9.) 

Chapter XVIII is occupied with a most graphic 
account of the way in which the fall of the city is 
viewed by the various classes who had their interests 
there; of the awe that came over them as they con- 
templated so complete a ruin. 

We also have an echo of our Lord's words respect- 
ing the destruction of Jerusalem. (Matt, xxiv: 22.) 
The "elect" are thought of in the injunction, "Come 
out of her, My people." (verse 4.) 

It is not within the scope of this work to explain 
every phrase of the Book, its aim being rather to set 
forth as clearly as possible its main outlines in an 
effort to interpret the seer's purpose. Further remarks 
on the description of "Babylon's" fall, therefore, 
would be superfluous and would only multiply these 
pages without throwing further light on the view of 
the Revelation which they set forth. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Chapter XVI. 

THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST ; OR "MARRIAGE 
OF THE LAMB." 

Revelation xix : i : xx : 6. 

After these things I heard as it were a great 
voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hal- 
lelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong 
to our God : for true and righteous are his judg- 
ments; for he hath judged the great harlot, which 
did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and he 
hath avenged the blood of his servants at her 
hand. And a second time they say, Hallelujah. 
And her smoke goeth up for ever and ever. And 
the four and twenty elders and the four living 
creatures fell down and worshipped God that sit- 
teth on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah. 
And a voice came forth from the throne, saying, 
Give praise to our God, all ye his servants, ye that 
fear him, the small and the great. And I heard 
as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as 
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of 
mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah: for the Lord 
our God, the Almighty, reigneth. Let us rejoice 
and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory 
unto him : for the marriage of the Lamb is come, 
and his wife hath made herself ready. And it 
was given unto her that she should array herself 
in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen 
is the righteous acts of the saints. And he saith 
unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are bid- 
den to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he 
saith unto me, These are true words of God. And 



198 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



I fell down before his feet to worship him. And 
he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a 
fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren 
that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God: 
for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of pro- 
phecy. 

And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a 
white horse, and he that sat thereon, called Faith- 
ful and True ; and in righteousness he doth judge 
and make war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, 
and upon his head are many diadems ; and he hath 
a name written, which no one knoweth but he 
himself. And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled 
with blood ; and his name is called The Word of 
God. And the armies which are in heaven fol- 
lowed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, 
white and pure. And out of his mouth proceedeth 
a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the 
nations : and he shall rule them with a rod of iron : 
and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of 
the wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his 
garment and on his thigh a name written, King of 
Kings, and Lord of Lords. 

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and 
he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds 
that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered to- 
gether unto the great supper of God ; that ye may 
eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, 
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of 
horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh 
of all men, both free and bond, and small and 
great. 

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, 
and their armies, gathered together to make war 
against him that sat upon the horse, and against 
his army. And the beast was taken, and with him 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 199 

the false prophet that wrought the signs in his 
sight, wherewith he deceived them that had re- 
ceived the mark of the beast, and them that wor- 
shipped his image : they twain were cast alive into 
the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone : and 
the rest were killed with the sword of him that 
sat upon the horse, even the sword which came 
forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were 
filled with their flesh. 

And I saw an angel coming down out of 
heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great 
chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the 
dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and 
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and 
cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it 
over him, that he should deceive the nations no 
more, until the thousand years should be finished : 
after this he must be loosed for a little time. 

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, 
and judgment was given unto them : and I saw 
the souls of them that had been beheaded for the 
testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and 
such as worshipped not the beast, neither his 
image, and received not the mark upon their fore- 
head and upon their hand; and they lived, and 
reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest 
of the dead lived not until the thousand years 
should be finished. This is the first resurrection. 
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first 
resurrection : over these the second death hath no 
power; but they shall be priests of God and of 
Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

A Two-Fold Joy: — Having described the judg- 
ment on "Babylon" and the "weeping and mourning" 
of those who had vested interests there, the seer pro- 
ceeds to tell of the joy with which the news of her 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



destruction was received in ''heaven." The reason for 
this rejoicing is two-fold. First, by common consent 
her judgment was just. The "harlot" was "drunken 
with the blood of the saints" (xvii: 6), and now her 
sins had returned on her own head. In the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem the defiant behest of the murderers 
of Jesus was abundantly answered. (Matt, xxvii: 25.) 
Then, Judaism's disintegration propitiated the "mar- 
riage of the Lamb." The Lamb and His Bride have 
their caricatures in the "lamb" of Chapter XIII and 
the "harlot" of Chapter XVII. The purity of the 
Bride is contrasted with the iniquities of the "harlot." 
That there be no misapprehension of his meaning, the 
seer declares that the "fine linen" she wears is the 
"righteous acts of the saints." 

Judaism's Two Alternatives : — This description 
is very suggestive. While the true Bride has a rival 
the marriage cannot take place. The Bride is the 
Church of Christ, the "harlot" Judaism. The destruc- 
tion of the latter as an organic force was absolutely 
essential, humanly speaking, to the success of Chris- 
tianity. While Jerusalem and the Temple stood, Juda- 
ism was the rival of the gospel. It had but two alter- 
natives — to be absorbed in the new movement, or alto- 
gether eliminated. As the Jews became bitter perse- 
cutors and regarded Christianity as a rival rather than 
the fulfilment of Judaism, they courted the calamity 
that overtook them. 

Anticipations of Victory: — -This section, there- 
fore, marks a pause in the conflict, in order that the 
fall of "Babylon" be celebrated. In reality it is antici- 
patory of the double victory about to be won. It is 
the tendency of the seer to present the various shades 
of the picture he is describing, at different intervals. 
More than once "Babylon" has been described as 
already "fallen," but in reality this is an accomplished 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



fact only when the "beast" and the "false prophet" 
(the latter another title for "Babylon" and Judaism) 
are "cast alive into the lake of fire." (xix: 20.) 

Now we see the significance of the appearance of 
Christ in this connection. We must bear in mind that 
the Apostle is still dwelling on the local aspect of the 
great conflict. The Champion of Righteousness comes 
forth followed by the armies of heaven to put an end 
to it. 

The difference between the descriptions of Christ 
and those of His enemies should not be missed. There 
is not a suggestion of the grotesque about Him. When 
the "red dragon" appears, he has seven heads and ten 
horns, and on each head a diadem. (Ch. XII.) But 
Christ comes forth in regal dignity having on His 
Head MANY diadems showing his pre-eminence in all 
realms, and justifying His title of "King of kings and 
Lord of lords." This description is based on Psalm 
ii and Isaiah lxiii. 

Climax of Struggle: — The climactic struggle, as 
seen from John's immediate view-point, is now about to 
take place. Arrayed against Christ and His people 
are the "beast" and "false prophet" with their follow- 
ers. But so confident of victory are the forces of 
righteousness that an angel calls the carrion birds 
beforehand to the feast. The beast and false prophet 
are seized and "cast alive into the lake of fire, that 
burns with brimstone." Their followers are "killed 
with the sword of Him Who sat on the horse, which 
came forth out of his mouth." This last qualifying 
sentence ought to discourage every tendency to look 
for literalness here. It is not by the material sword 
that Christ conquers, but by His inherent authority to 
speak for, and as, God. He is the "Word of God" 
Who destroys His enemies by the "breath of his 
mouth." (II Thess. ii: 8.) 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



Respective Destinies: — True to his method, 
which has more than once been pointed out in these 
studies, this event the author describes in climactic 
force in the next chapter. In that connection, how- 
ever, it is by "fire that came down out of heaven" that 
the worshipers of the beast are consumed (xx: 9), 
while almost in the next sentence their ultimate end 
is described in precisely the same terms as that of the 
beast and false prophet. There is no contradiction 
here. This is apocalyptic. It evinces the futility and 
hopelessness of every attempt at literal interpretation. 

The beast and false prophet were cast alive into the 
lake of fire. The difference between these respective 
destinies as described in verses 20 and 21, is intended 
to teach that the beast and false prophet embody col- 
lectively the Evil PRINCIPLE, It was natural to 
speak of them as cast at once into the fire, for in 
Scripture usage this is the punishment meted out for 
persistent rebellion against God. In our thought, 
however, we must not attempt to distinguish between 
them and their followers. They are the leaders ; they 
represent their followers. They act for them, and, 
therefore, we are to think of their fate as being that 
also of their followers. The language is consistent 
with the imagery of the Book. 

The author, however, has made this verbal distinc- 
tion in order that he might present the vision of the 
"great white throne" (xx: 11) and impress human 
beings with a sense of their accountability to God. 

Passover of Judgment :— In the feast of the birds, 
the picture of Ezekiel xxxix: 17-20 is present to the 
Seer's mind. It offers a great contrast to the "mar- 
riage-supper of the Lamb." Milligan suggests that we 
also have here an "inverted and contorted Passover." 
On the cross Jesus was the Paschal Lamb. His ene- 
mies did not enter the Judgment Hall "lest they should 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



be defiled. " (John xviii: 28.) They had not at that 
time eaten the Passover. In the tumult and excite- 
ment of that morning an opportunity had hardly pre- 
sented itself. We are not told that they found one. 
Did they then lose their Passover? he asks. The 
Evangelist seems to say they found one, but a very 
different one from that prescribed by Law. Their 
cruel mockeries of the Lamb of God rebounded upon 
them with terrible force, taking the form of a pass- 
over of judgment. This is what we have reflected 
here. 

"Thousand Years": — Next, an angel descends 
from heaven having the key of the abyss and with 
a chain binds Satan, sealing the abyss. Here he 
remains for a "thousand years." Satan is the "dragon" 
of Chapter XII. The "dragon" gave his power and 
authority to the first "beast" mentioned in Chapter 
XIII. Even the other "beast" of the same chapter 
that had two horns like a lamb, "spake as a dragon." 
The seven heads and ten horns of the first beast repre- 
sent the different manifestations of Satan in his active 
opposition to the Kingdom of God. 

Reference to a certain feature in the description of 
this beast will enable us to rightly interpret the thou- 
sand years. We realize that we are laying ourselves 
open to the charge of redundancy, but the current 
views in their number and variety are so mystifying, 
that we crave the reader's indulgence while we empha- 
size points already discussed. We do so because they 
have an important bearing on this section we are 
examining, and also because we hope that the fresh 
light given here will confirm the views already ex- 
pressed. We are told in Chapter XIII, where this 
"beast" is first introduced, that one of his heads was 
"smitten to death, and his death-stroke was healed." 
We have explained this as meaning the successive rise 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



and fall of the great empires of antiquity. The "ten 
horns" ultimately take the place of the seventh head. 
Rome represented the sixth, and between its "deadly 
wound" and the appearance of the seventh head, the 
"beast" must be regarded as "not." (xvii: 8.) May 
not the "thousand years" be synonymous with "smit- 
ten to death" ; or, to the statement that the "beast is 
not"? That is to say, to the period between the fall 
of the sixth head and the rise of the seventh. 

If it be asked why this period be placed only be- 
tween the sixth and seventh heads and not also 
between the other groups of two, the answer obviously 
lies in the importance which the author attaches to the 
times he is at present depicting. No such advance of 
the Kingdom of God had before been witnessed. Such 
days had, however, been predicted. (Cf. Joel ii: 28, 
29, and Acts ii : 17, 18.) 

Perhaps there is no feature of the Apocalypse that 
gives stronger evidence of the futility of all attempts 
at chronological arrangement and literal interpreta- 
tion. While the beast with the seven heads typifies 
historical realities, yet in itself let it be remembered 
it is a poetic figure, a picture, and must be interpreted 
accordingly. Rome being the sixth head, let it be 
clearly understood that our reference to its "fall" is 
used not in the historical but in the prophetic or religi- 
ous sense. The popular impression is that the West- 
ern Empire was extinguished in A. D. 476. The City 
of Rome was, it is true, taken by the Goths in that 
year, but the sovereignty of the Western Empire did 
not pass into their hands. This irruption but resulted 
in the reunion of East and West, the Roman Empire 
having been previously divided by the Emperor Diocle- 
tian of his own volition. (See Gibbon's Decline and 
Fall, and Bryce's Holy Roman Empire.) 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 2 oc 



But there is a religious sense in which Rome fell 
when the conflict between Christianity and Paganism 
began. It is "prophetic" in the sense that it describes 
the view-point of the Biblical writers who have handled 
the subject. It is strikingly applicable to the present 
discussion. We have repeatedly pointed out that the 
Seer's aim is not historical accuracy. He has the eye 
of a prophet and notes results from the general drift 
of things; and when the tendency is noted he may 
speak of them as actually having come to pass. We 
have already said that in his view the work of Christ 
was the climax of all. (See Chapter XL) All else 
could be measured according to this. When, there- 
fore, he speaks of the appearance of a white horse 
whose Rider is named Faithful and True — the Word 
of God, Who "treads the winepress of the wrath of 
God" (xix: 11-16) — a pictorial representation of the 
ministry of Christ — he regards this as the very 
moment of the beast's end. 

"Daniel's" Vision: — The teaching of this part of 
the Apocalypse is plainly based on "Daniel." In the 
second chapter of that Book is given a delineation of 
Nebuchadrezzar's strange dream. The king sees a 
great image with a head of gold, breast and arms of 
silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet 
part iron and part clay. A stone "cut out without 
hands" smites the image on its feet and grinds it to 
powder. The image in its various parts represents four 
kingdoms. The "stone" which smites it represents 
the Kingdom of Christ. In the seventh chapter, 
"Daniel" has a dream which corresponds with Nebu- 
chadrezzar's. It is a vision of the four kingdoms — 
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome — but in- 
stead of an image composed of different metals, 
"Daniel" sees four beasts rise up out of the sea. The 
first was like a lion, the second like a bear, the third 



2o6 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



like a leopard, while the fourth is not specified, though 
described as terrible and exceedingly strong, with 
great iron teeth. 

Certain features in each of these beasts are particu- 
larized in the delineation. We are concerned only 
with the fourth beast. This was diverse from all the 
rest, having ten horns and iron teeth. "Daniel" con- 
sidered the horns and saw coming up among them an- 
other little horn before which three of the first horns 
were plucked up by the roots. In this little horn were 
eyes like those of a man, and a mouth speaking great 
things. Then follows the vision of the "Ancient of 
Days" and the destruction of this fourth beast. One 
like the Son of Man comes in the clouds to the Ancient 
of Days Who gives Him the Kingdom. 

The Explanation: — These great beasts are four 
kings who for a time hold dominion, but the Kingdom 
will ultimately revert to the saints of the Most High 
who shall possess it forever. But "Daniel" desires to 
know especially concerning the fourth beast. While 
he is praying, Gabriel comes forth to show him the 
meaning of the vision. Without going into irrelevant 
details we may say that the underlying truth here is 
that Satan, represented in this instance by Rome, 
would for a time have things very much his" own way ; 
Messiah would be killed, Jerusalem destroyed, and 
God's people roughly treated; but Christ will come 
again, and desolation will be poured out upon Satan. 
"Daniel" had the consolation of knowing that although 
he lived in dark times, and although the struggle of 
righteous men seemed hopeless, yet he could die in 
peace with the assurance that the cause he represented 
would triumph in the end. 

Material assistance is afforded by comparing Rev. 
xx : 1-3 with II Thess. ii. There Paul speaks of the 
"man of sin" who will be revealed after a "falling 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



away." The "mystery of lawlessness is already at 
work," and when the restraining power is removed 
will he appear. It is doubtful whether he means to 
describe an individual. The "man of sin" may be a 
collective idea. In Eph. ii: 15 he speaks of the "new 
man" composed of converted Jews and Gentiles, i. e., 
the Christian Church. It is possible that in the pas- 
sage under consideration he has reference to the con- 
verse element in humanity. In the Christian dispen- 
sation, according to this, humanity comprises the "new 
man" and the "man of sin/ the first being according 
to the working of God; the other "according to the 
working of Satan." (II Thess. ii : 9.) 

It is to be noticed in the statements regarding the 
restraining power that the apostle Paul uses first the 
neuter, then the personal pronoun — "ye know WHAT 
restrains" ; and "until HE who now restrains." May 
he not have reference here to the extraordinary mani- 
festations of the Spirit so prevalent in the apostolic 
age? "Gifts of the spirit" were quite common then 
in almost every community. Perhaps the "thousand 
years" correspond to the period in the early Church 
when these "gifts" were so abundant. In that age the 
saints "lived and reigned," while "the rest of the dead 
(worshipers of the beast, the unspiritual) lived not 
until the thousand years should be finished," i. e., 
until their leader, Satan, was released from the abyss. 
So the restraining power of II Thess. ii (i. e., the 
gifts of the Spirit in the early Church), may corre- 
spond to the reign of the saints in Rev. xx. The 
"loosing" of Satan after the "thousand years' " incar- 
ceration, corresponds to Paul's statement that the 
miraculous gifts "will be done away." (I Cor. xiii : 8.) 
While these manifestations were apparent there was 
little likelihood of success in Satan's operations, and 
so he was, in the language of the seer, chained in the 



2o8 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 1 



abyss; but when these ceased a reaction and a great 
apostasy took place. It must be remembered that Paul 
wrote while the churches were yet endowed with this 
witnessing power. In other words, the "thousand 
years" were on when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians 
of the power that held in restraint "the man of sin." 
It seemed as if Satan was out of the way. The gospel 
was manifesting its power, its victories were manifold. 
But when these manifestations shall have been with- 
drawn, it will seem as if Satan were again loose, and 
gathers his armies ("the rest of the dead") to fight 
against the Lord, Who destroys him with the breath 
of His mouth. (II Thess. ii: 2-8; Rev. xx: 7-10.) 

Testimony of John's Epistles : — The above expla- 
nation also harmonizes with John's first and sec- 
ond epistles. "Little children, it is the last hour; and 
as ye heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many 
antichrists have arisen ; whence we know that it is the 
last hour." (I John ii: 18.) John was writing late in 
the first century, the extraordinary manifestations of 
Divine Power were being withdrawn, the anti-chris- 
tian spirit was beginning to show itself in the denial 
of Christ's Deity, It is evident that the apostles be- 
lieved in the withdrawal of this special Divine Power 
which would result in a REVIVAL of Satanic power, 
evidences of which were not wanting at the time John 
wrote his letters. Of course, it is to be borne in mind 
that this is only ideally, not literally, true. Satan was 
perhaps never busier than at the time designated, but 
the author's main idea is to emphasize the glorious 
victory of Christ and the triumph of the early Church 
in spreading the news of the Kingdom. This for the 
time being completely overshadowed Satan's opera- 
tions. Numbers, like almost everything else in the 
Apocalypse, must be interpreted not literally but figur- 
atively. A thousand may have suggested perfection 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



to the mind of the Seer. It is the cube of ten, ten 
times ten making a hundred, square surface measure- 
ment. To make this a cube multiply the hundred by 
ten and you have a thousand. Such definiteness in the 
number doubtless was intended to convey the idea of 
the COMPLETE subjugation of Satan, and the cor- 
responding triumph of Christ and His Saints. There 
is no idea, we take it, of suggesting the length of time 
Satan is bound. Clear analysis is not always possible 
in the Revelation because of the author's method in 
presenting his ideas, but the lines are sufficiently dis- 
tinct to enable us to approach to his meaning. Our 
explanation of this passage may not meet with univer- 
sal acceptance, but we are satisfied that it comes nearer 
the truth than any theory that places the "millen- 
nium" in the future, near or distant; that interprets 
the number literally, with a resurrection at both ends, 
and that closes its eyes to the PRESENT reign of 
Christ; that insists on postponing this to the future 
and making it an earthly reign in a rebuilt Jerusalem. 

Present Reign of Christ: — If anything is at all 
clear in the New Testament, it is that the Mediatorial 
reign of Christ is now on, and has been a reality ever 
since his ascension "to the right hand of God." To 
quote would mean the reiteration of most of the New 
Testament lying between the first chapter of the Acts 
and the last chapter of the Revelation. It will be per- 
tinent, however, to point out to the student of the 
Apocalypse, the Seer's belief in the present fact. 
Christ is "the ruler of the kings of the earth." (i: 5.) 
As the "Lion. of the tribe of Judah" and the "slain 
Lamb that loosed us from our sins," He even now 
receives the homage and worship of those who com- 
prise His "kingdom." (i: 6; v: 8-14.) When the sev- 
enth Trumpet was sounded, "voices in heaven" said 
"The kingdom of the world is become our Lord's, and 



2io "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE' 



His Christ's." (xi: 15 :xii:io.) We believe we are 
right in placing this at the beginning, rather than at 
the end, of the present dispensation. 

Differing Views: — Yet, in spite of this witness 
of the Scriptures, the Church, speaking generally, is 
divided into two main camps, the line of cleavage 
being the "millennium," popularly regarded as still 
future; the contention as to whether Christ will come 
BEFORE or AFTER the "thousand years" classify- 
ing them as pre-millennarians and post-millennarians. 
It is due to the latter to say that in their theory there 
is room for the doctrine of the present Mediatorial 
reign of Christ; while with the former, the view they 
hold of the plan of redemption and the present con- 
dition of the world precludes such a possibility. 

We wish it understood, of course, that we have 
stated the GENERAL views of the two schools. 
Doubtless there are many exceptions. But the main 
thing we wish to emphasize here is our amazement 
that such a contention should be waged around so ob- 
scure a statement in a book generally acknowledged 
to be symbolic and figurative. Attempts have been 
made by some to twist other Scriptures into line with 
this, such as I Cor. xv:23, 24; and Phil, iii: 11; but 
with indifferent success. 

"First Resurrection": — To reign with Christ is 
the privilege of those who are described as having 
remained loyal in the prospect of great suffering; and, 
as in the case of their Lord, this blessed experience, 
"which is the first resurrection" (verse 5), does not 
await the future. It is even now an "earnest," a fore- 
taste of what will be theirs everlastingly in the world 
to come. To this other Scriptures attest: The ordi- 
nance of Baptism (immersion) sets forth in its sym- 
bolism the burial into death and the rising in newness 
of life. (Rom. vi: 3-11.) The Power by means of 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 2 II 

which this is accomplished is the Spirit. (Rom. viii: 
ii.) Even now such are the children of God, and be- 
cause they are children, heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, 
glorified WITH Him, because of having suffered 
WITH Him. (Rom. viii: 16, 17; I John iii: 2.) The 
"first resurrection" is spiritual, and may be experi- 
enced in THIS life, whatever may be the nature of 
the resurrection AFTER DEATH, of which Paul 
speaks in I Cor. xv. Else what meaning is to be 
attached to such statements as, "If then ye were raised 
together with Christ, seek the things above, where 
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God." "For ye 
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God?" 
(Col. iii: 1, 3.) And Paul's holy ambition as ex- 
pressed in Phil, iii : 10-14? An unbiased interpreta- 
tion of his words must apply them to Paul's desire for 
moral and spiritual attainment in the present life. 

This is the heritage of all God's people everywhere. 
The "souls of those who had been beheaded" are not 
to be distinguished from the great host of God. In 
this Book all God's people are regarded as martyrs, 
and in the great conflict of which it treats, all must 
bear the cross before they can gain the crown. Herein 
men are viewed absolutely in their relations to the 
world to come, (vi: 9-11 ; vii: 9-17.) This is a suffi- 
cient answer to an objection that may be anticipated, 
namely, that this explanation is contradictory in that 
it makes the saints to reign permanently while the 
imprisonment of Satan is temporary, although in the 
text these are co-extensive. Surely it does not follow 
that the "loosing" of Satan interrupts the sovereignty 
of God's people. The "thousand years" is a term ex- 
pressive of the inviolability of the saints as well as of 
the completeness of Satan's subsidence. 

It is an assurance that the Lord's people and the 
Lord's work are safe, and has no reference to a lit- 



212 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

eral "binding" and "loosing" ; for as we have already 
stated, perhaps at no period of his existence was he 
more strenuous in his opposition, but this was only 
secondary in importance to the Christian victory. 
Great advances in the Kingdom of God such as that 
witnessed in the apostolic age, when vast numbers of 
people are affected, have often been followed by reac- 
tion and apostasy. In the instance under consideration 
the "falling away" of II Thess. ii: 3 was contempora- 
neous with the "loosing" of Satan. (Rev, xx: 3. Cf. 
II Thessalonians ii: 8.) But God's true people are 
they who "endure to the end." (Matt, xxiv: 13.) 
These are not affected by the revelation of "the law- 
less one." 

The "Beheaded" and "the rest of the dead":— 

In distinguishing between the "souls of the beheaded" 
and "the rest of the dead" regard must be paid to the 
relations in which these classes are viewed. The for- 
mer "live and reign with Christ," the latter "lived not 
until the thousand years should be finished." Between 
the fall of the sixth head of the "beast" and the rise 
of the seventh all is quiet, so to speak. The rise of the 
seventh head is equivalent to the loosing of Satan 
after the "thousand years." Then comes the final bat- 
tle. Satan and "the rest of the dead" (spiritually 
dead) go against the camp of the saints, they who 
"live" and reign with Christ. In plain language, the 
Seer has reference to the spiritual and unspiritual, and 
as men are regarded from the view-point of eternity, 
the accident of death (physical) does not enter into 
the conception. Those who have part in "the first 
resurrection" include the righteous militant, as well 
as the righteous triumphant; while "the rest of the 
dead" include the unspiritual living as well as the im- 
penitent dead. Thus we are taught the status of the 
only classes of humanity the Bible knows, — the right- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



eous and the wicked. The righteous "live and reign." 
The wicked are "dead." The former have part in the 
"first resurrection," the latter experience the "second 
death, the lake of fire." The "second death" is not 
something that is remote, affecting men only beyond 
the grave. It involves the present state of the wilfully 
wicked on the earth, as well as those who have died in 
their guilt. A little amplification will make this 
clearer. The Scriptures speak of the unregenerate 
as "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. ii : i), and of 
their need of the new birth. (John iii : 3.) Christ came 
to give "life." (John x: 10.) Speaking then along this 
line, humanity is naturally in the state of the first 
death. The "second death" is this state intensified. 
It is that moral condition at which men arrive who wil- 
fully and persistently reject the proffered mercies of 
God. There is progress downwards as well as up- 
wards, and when men become fixed in their evil habits 
they are dangerously near the "second death," and are 
likely to earn the epithet applied by Jude to false 
teachers — "trees twice dead." (Jude 12.) This inter- 
pretation of the "second death" obviates the necessity 
of a literal interpretation of "the lake of fire." This 
phrase occurs frequently in the closing chapters of 
the Revelation. It is an echo of what fell from the 
lips of Christ regarding the destiny of the finally im- 
penitent The "lake of fire" is that spoken of as a 
place "where their worm dieth not and the fire is not 
quenched." (Mk. ix: 48; Isa. lxvi: 24.) "Depart 
from Me, accursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for 
the Devil and his angels." (Matt, xxv: 41.) It is the 
"Gehenna" of the Scriptures, the Valley of Hinnom, 
the place just outside Jerusalem where the offal of 
the city was cast to be burned. Day and night it 
flamed forth, thus offering a ready symbol of the per- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



manent fate of the wicked. It is the thought of final 
rejection, and not the manner of punishment, that is 
set forth in all these references. 



PART V. 
Conclusion (xx:7; xxii:2i). 
Chapter XVII. 

JUDGMENT OF SATAN AND THE DEAD. 

Revelation xx 17-15. 

And when the thousand years are finished, 
Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall 
come forth to deceive the nations which are in the 
four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to 
gather them together to the war: the number of 
whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went 
up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed 
the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city : 
and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured 
them. And the devil that deceived them was cast 
into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are 
also the beast and the false prophet; and they 
shall be tormented day and night for ever and 
ever. 

And I saw a great white throne, and him that 
sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the 
heaven fled away; and there was found no place 
for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the 
small, standing before the throne; and books were 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 215 

opened; and another book was opened, which is 
the book of life: and the dead were judged out 
of the things which were written in the books, 
according to their works. And the sea gave up 
the dead which were in it; and death and Hades 
gave up the dead which were in them: and they 
were judged every man according to their works. 
And death and Hades were cast into the lake of 
fire. This is the second death, even the lake of 
fire. And if any was not found written in the 
book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. 

We have reached the last grand division in the 
author's scheme. Like a diamond with several facets, 
the subject has been presented in its various phases 
until we have viewed it from all conceivable points. 
First, we have a rapid survey of the whole problem • 
(vi-vii), then a more detailed treatment as the problem 
affected the "chosen people." (viii-xii.) Following 
this we have been shown the contemporary aspect, 
(xiii-xx: 6.) It has resulted in the destruction of the 
two beasts. The author now resumes the general fea- 
tures, showing how Satan, now without vicegerent or 
secondary agencies, is finally overcome, and how the 
victory over Evil ushers in the new heaven and the 
new earth. 

"Loosed a little time": — It should not be diffi- 
cult to see that the author is still dealing with condi- 
tions in the world as it is today. The "loosing" of 
Satan is his way of accounting for the prevalence of 
evil during the Christian dispensation in spite of the 
triumph of Christ and the share His followers, even 
during their earthly pilgrimage, have in it. 

The names "Gog and Magog" appear in Ezek. 
xxxviii-xxxix, where, however, we read "Gog, the 
land of Magog." From Gen. x : 2 we learn that Magog 
was a son of Japheth, father of the Gentiles as dis- 



216 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



tinguished from the race of Shem, Gog being "the 
chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (Ezek. xxxviii: 
2), who were also sons of Japheth. Josephus declared 
that the Scythians, the general name given by Herodo- 
tus to the northern races beyond the Caucasian range, 
were the descendants of Magog. (Antt. i: 63.) From 
B. C. 633 to B. C. 605 there were various Western 
expeditions undertaken by the Scythians, in one of 
which Judea was threatened with devastation. Al- 
though the historical books of the Old Testament are 
silent on this matter, there is clear evidence of it in 
Jer. iv and in Zeph., while the name Scythopolis, given 
to ancient Bethshean (Jud. i: 7) on the highway be- 
tween Nineveh and Egypt perpetuated the memory of 
the event. 

This terrible irruption, which left such traces and 
memories behind, supplied Ezekiel with a background 
for his vision of Gog and Magog, where his language 
implies that these names symbolized the enmity of the 
world to the people of God, having been the subjects 
of earlier prophecy. (Ezek. xxxviii: 17.) 

All through the Revelation the Seer has been using 
past historical events to illustrate his meaning. Once 
more he borrows from Ezekiel, in greater detail, the 
imagery which served him in xix: 17, in order to set 
forth the destruction of Satan and his hosts in their 
last assault on the City of God. Consistently with 
the thought already expressed of Satan's manifesta- 
tions of himself in the "dragon" and "beast," we must 
regard this "little time" as synonymous with the reign 
of the "seventh head" or "ten horns." Roughly 
speaking, this covers the whole of the Christian dis- 
pensation. 

Care must be taken not to literalize here. We must 
sympathize with the writer's motive if we are to catch 
his meaning. This is descriptive language, and to 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 217 



picture the truths he wished to teach, some such out- 
line was necessary. But the facts are not literally as 
he has described them. This is hyperbole. How else 
could he have described the victory of Christ over 
Satan except to picture the latter as "wounded unto 
death" (xiii: 3) and entombed? Christ's enemies put 
Him to death and He was buried. But He arose from 
the grave. It was really Satan who was vanquished, 
and consistently with his tendency as a caricaturist 
the author in this word-picture lays him in a grave. 
But in order to account for Satan's activity through- 
out the Christian dispensation, it was necessary to pic- 
ture him as being "loosed." Mark that he does not 
rise of his own accord and by any inherent power. 
He is "loosed," a term which implies permissive free- 
dom. This lasts only "a little time." This phrase is 
analogous to the other indefinite expressions of time 
we have encountered in our studies. 

The whole Book of Revelation is concerned with 
things "shortly to come to pass." (i: 1.) The souls 
under the altar (vi: 2) were to wait "a little time," 
i. e., to the end of the dispensation. Again in xii : 12 
we read "the devil is gone down, knowing that he hath 
but a little season." In its farthest reach this must 
include the whole period of his activity in the world. 
From many passages in the Book it is clear that the 
whole Christian dispensation is looked upon as a very 
little time, "as hastening to its final issue, and as about 
to be closed by One Who cometh quickly." As already 
stated, it is the time between the first and second com- 
ings of Christ. 

Judgment of Satan: — In Chapter XVII it is pre- 
dicted that this renewed activity, so to speak, takes 
the shape of "war with the Lamb," and also the per- 
secution of the "harlot" or Judaism, "These will 
make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will over- 



218 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



come them ; because he is Lord of lords and King of 
kings, and they who are with him are called, and elect, 
and faithful." (xvii: 14.) 

"And the ten horns which thou sawest and the 
beast, these will hate the harlot, and will make her des- 
olate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and burn her 
up with fire." (xvii: 16.) We hesitate to dogmatize 
where one can so easily be mistaken, but it would 
seem that these "ten horns" symbolize the anti-chris- 
tianism and anti-semitism of the Christian era. The 
"Lamb," indeed, "will overcome them," but the "har- 
lot" has already been made "desolate and naked." 
There is no contradiction here. The two lines of 
thought are complementary. The anti-christian and 
the anti-semitic spirit both find their inspiration in 
Satan. Though the anti-semitic spirit has been found 
largely among Christian nations, so called, it is none 
the less Satanic. In this present section (xx: 7-10) 
the prediction of the persecution of the Lamb and the 
saints is depicted as being fulfilled. All this is but an 
echo of the perils confronting the Church which 
Christ and Paul warned against. (Matt, xxiv: pas- 
sim; II Tim. iii: 1.) The result will be complete vic- 
tory for the saints. Their enemies will be annihilated, 
"and the Devil who led them astray" will be cast 
"into the lake of fire" to keep company with "the 
beast and false prophet," from which neither will 
again be "loosed." This is the final effort of Satan 
against the saints and the issue of the struggle. The 
seer has reached the grand climax of that part of his 
theme which deals with the DRAMATIS PER- 
SONAE of evil. 

Judgment of the "Dead": — The third main fea- 
ture need detain us very little. John has a vision of 
"a great white throne, and of Him Who sat on it" 
before Whom "the dead, the great and the small" 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



stand. "And books were opened; and another book 
was opened, which is (the book) of life." They are 
"judged out of the things that were written in the 
books." The "sea" and "death" and "Hades" gave up 
their dead, who were judged according to their works. 

"Death" and "Hades" and "any one not found 
written in the book of life were cast into the lake of 
fire," which is the "second death." 

This is not what is popularly spoken of as the "gen- 
eral Judgment." In John's teaching the Judgment is 
never referred to as something ultimate, but as a con- 
tinuous process. Men are ever arraying themselves 
on the one side or the other. The Judgment is con- 
stantly going on. In the passage before us we are 
introduced to the "DEAD, great and small." The 
faithful "LIVE and reign," and we take it that THEY 
have no part in this transaction. There IS a "gen- 
eral Judgment" in which the Judge when He comes 
will dispense rewards and punishments (xxii: 12), 
but the seer does not here refer to this. This is 
rather a side view of the fate of those who are 
opposed to Righteousness. 

The "books" must be distinguished from "the book 
of life." The former contain the "deeds" of the 
"dead," i. e., evil deeds alone. The "book of life" 
contains the names of the righteous. The latter is 
opened not to secure deliverance to those whose names 
are inscribed therein, but only to prove the justness 
of the sentence imposed on those who may be cast into 
the "lake of fire." If their names are not written in 
the "book of life" this is the fate that awaits them. 

The correctness of this conclusion is further as- 
sured by calling to mind the judgment referred to 
under the seventh Trumpet, (xi: 18.) In the present 
vision this is enlarged upon. The persons spoken of 
as "the dead" are obviously the same in both visions, 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



and in the earlier vision these are clearly distinguished 
from those called "Thy servants the prophets/' the 
time of whose "reward" had come. 

The meaning of "sea" and "death" and "Hades" 
also confirms the position taken here. The "sea" is 
not the literal ocean. Throughout this Book it is used 
in a figurative sense, descriptive of troubled and 
unruly nations. When in the vision of the new 
heaven and earth it is said "the sea is no more" we 
are not to understand that one of the great glories of 
creation is missing, but that under the new conditions 
of life there will be no more strife and turmoil. "The 
sea is no more" because Satan is no more, and be- 
cause the beast (xiii: i) that came out of the sea is 
no more to which the dragon delegated his authority. 
In short, the troubled and unruly nations, suggestive 
of the sea, which did Satan's bidding are, according to 
the Seer's conception, "no more." (See Chapter XV.) 
So, too, with "death," This is not the "neutral grave," 
for it is cast into the lake of fire. Likewise of 
"Hades," which in vi : 8 is the inseparable companion 
of "death." In the New Testament, Hades "always 
appears as a region of gloom, and punishment, and 
opposition to the truth." For example, "And thou, 
Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted to heaven? Thou 
shalt go down to Hades." (Matt, xi: 23.) "And I 
also say to thee, that thou art Peter, and on this rock 
I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall 
not prevail against it." (Matt, xvi: 18.) So it is the 
ungodly dead which the "sea, and death, and Hades" 
give up to judgment, while in John's general teaching 
the eternal condition of the righteous is secured for 
them even here and now in the work of their glorified 
Head. 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



221 



Chapter XVIII. 

NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH. 
Revelation xxi-xxii. 

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for 
the first heaven and the first earth are passed 
away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the 
holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of 
heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned 
for her husband. And I heard a great voice out 
of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of 
God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, 
and they shall be his peoples, and God himself 
shall be with them, and be their God : and he shall 
wipe away every tear from their eyes ; and death 
shall be no more ; neither shall there be mourning, 
nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things 
are passed away. And he that sitteth on the throne 
said, Behold, I make all things new. And he 
saith, Write : for these words are faithful and 
true. And he said unto me, They are come to 
pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the begin- 
ning and the end. I will give unto him that is 
athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 
He that overcometh shall inherit these things ; 
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But 
for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, 
and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, 
and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in 
the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; 
which is the second death. 

And there came one of the seven angels who 
had the seven bowls, who were laden with the 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



seven last plagues ; and he spake with me, say- 
ing, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the 
wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in 
the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and 
shewed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down 
out of heaven from God, having the glory of 
God: her light was like unto a stone most pre- 
cious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal: 
having a wall great and high; having twelve 
gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names 
written thereon, which are the names of the 
twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the 
east were three gates; and on the north three 
gates; and on the south three gates; and on the 
west three gates. And the wall of the city had 
twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of 
the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that 
spake with me had for a measure a golden reed 
to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and 
the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, 
and the length thereof is as great as the breadth : 
and he measured the city with the reed, twelve 
thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth 
and the height thereof are equal. And he meas- 
ured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and 
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, 
that is, of an angel. And the building of the wall 
thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, 
like unto pure glass. The foundations of the 
wall of the city were adorned with all manner of 
precious stones. The first foundation was jas- 
per; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; 
the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the 
sixth, sardius ; the seventh, chrysolite ; the eighth, 
beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; 
the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; each one of 
the several gates was of one pearl : and the street 
of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent 
glass. And I saw no temple therein : for the Lord 
God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple 
thereof. And the city hath no need of the sun, 
neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the 
glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof 
is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk amidst 
the light thereof : and the kings of the earth do 
bring their glory into it. And the gates thereof 
shall in no wise be shut by day (for there shall 
be no night there) : and they shall bring the glory 
and the honor of the nations into it: and there 
shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, 
or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but 
only they which are written in the Lamb's book 
of life. 

And he shewed me a river of water of life, 
bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of 
God and of the Lamb, in the midst of the street 
thereof. And on this side of the river and on 
that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner 
of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the 
leaves of the three were for the healing of the 
nations. And there shall be no curse any more: 
and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be 
therein : and his servants shall do him service ; 
and they shall see his face; and his name shall 
be on their foreheads. And there shall be night 
no more ; and they need no light of lamp, neither 
light of sun ; for the Lord God shall give them 
light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 

And he saith unto me, These words are faith- 
ful and true : and the Lord, the God of the spirits 
of the prophets, sent his angel to shew unto his 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



servants the things which must shortly come to 
pass. And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he 
that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this 
book. 

And I John am he that heard and saw these 
things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down 
to worship before the feet of the angel which 
shewed me these things. And he saith unto me, 
See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with 
thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and 
with them which keep the words of this book: 
worship God. 

And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words 
of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at 
hand. He that is unrighteous, let him do unright- 
eousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be 
made filthy still : and he that is righteous, let him 
do righteousness still : and he that is holy, let him 
be made holy still. Behold, I come quickly; and 
my reward is with me, to render to each man, 
according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the 
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and 
the end. Blessed are they that wash their robes, 
that they may have the right to come to the tree 
of life, and may enter in by the gates into the 
city. Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, 
and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the 
idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a 
lie. 

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you 
these things for the churches. I am the root and 
the offspring of David, the bright, the morning 
star. 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he 
that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take 
the water of life freely. 

I testify unto every man that heareth the words 
of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall 
add unto them, God shall add unto him the 
plagues which are written in this book: and if 
any man shall take away from the words of 
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away 
his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy 
city, which are written in this book. 

He which testifieth these things saith, Yea: I 
come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. 
Amen. 

Paradise Restored: — Here the seer is shown a 
new world. A "new heaven and a new earth" displace 
the "first heaven and the first earth." Descending from 
heaven is "the holy city, new Jerusalem, prepared as 
a bride adorned for her husband." Two words in the 
New Testament are translated "new," but there is a 
difference between them. The one refers to an object 
recently brought into existence, the other to the ap- 
pearance in another aspect of what had previously 
existed. The latter word is employed here. What is 
the meaning of this vision? Before we attempt to 
answer this question, it may be necessary once more 
to call attention to the absence of chronological 
sequence in the Revelation. Our answer must by 
no means be prejudiced by the close of Chapter XX. 

Let us notice that the new Jerusalem, though de- 
scribed as a city, is a figure, not of a place, but a peo- 
ple. It is "the bride, the wife of the Lamb." This 
statement requires no amplification to prove that it is 
the Church of Christ that is here referred to. What- 
ever is said of the new city in this description is said 
of the true followers of Jesus. Is this description 



226 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



applicable to the Church only in its glorified state, or 
is it also suited to its present condition? It has always 
been regarded as a picture of the Church triumphant, 
the Church after the Judgment, in her state of glorifi- 
cation when all her enemies are destroyed. But the 
seer's habit of idealizing everything should be consid- 
ered here. In this scene of the new Jerusalem we 
have once more before us the descriptions given in Isa. 
lx, and in Ezek. xl-xlviii. The order followed here 
is that of Ezekiel, who, after his account of Gog and 
Magog, exhibits in vision the Holy City and Temple, 
and the return to it of God's glory. This portion of 
the Old Testament is a pictorial representation of 
what the Hebrew prophets had predicted of the times 
of the Messiah on earth. That God would establish a 
kingdom of righteousness is the promise of the Old 
Testament. That Christ planted that kingdom with 
the beginning, and not with the end, of the Christian 
dispensation is the conviction of the New. First John 
the Baptist and then Christ came preaching "Repent, 
for the kingdom of God is at hand." This was the 
burden of the Master's preaching throughout His 
ministry. "To accept His gospel is to receive the king- 
dom of God. Almost without exception, His parables 
set forth some aspect of the kingdom — its nature, its 
condition of growth, the attitude of men toward it, 
its requirements, rewards, and its retributions." 

Present Felicity: — Strikingly beautiful and tender 
as is the seer's description of the new Jerusalem, it is 
not primarily a picture of Heaven, the eternal home of 
the redeemed, although in his vision the seer has 
caught glimpses of Heaven and breathed its atmos- 
phere. It is rather a picture of earth under the 
regime of the gospel, in the terms of Heaven. We 
have been wrong in transferring this picture wholly 
to the future. Throughout the Book actual conditions, 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



as regards God's people, are idealized as a prophecy 
of future reality. It is characteristic of John's writ- 
ings to picture the Christian life as a present felicity. 
The believer's possessions are always spoken of in the 
present tense. In this as in all else, the author is in 
perfect harmony with the rest of the New Testament. 
Notwithstanding all their imperfections the Churches 
to which the various epistles are addressed, are re- 
ferred to as "beloved of God," "sanctified in Christ 
Jesus/' "saints and faithful brethren in Christ." (Rom. 
i: 7; I Cor. i: 2; Col. i: 2.) Christ is "in them" and 
they are "in Christ." "Christ loved the Church, and 
gave Himself up for it; * * * that He might Him- 
self present to Himself the Church, glorious, not hav- 
ing a spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it 
may be holy and without blemish." (Eph. v : 25, 27.) 
This description evidently applies to the present world. 
Our "citizenship" is declared to be "in heaven" (Phil, 
iii: 20), the Church is seated, not in earthly, but "in 
the heavenly" places (Eph. ii: 6) ; we are even now 
"come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the liv- 
ing God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to innumerable hosts 
of angels, and to the general assembly and Church of 
the first-born, who are enrolled in heaven." (Heb. xii: 
22, 23.) Our Lord Jesus is even more specific as to 
His people's present glory. "In that day ye shall 
know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in 
you." (John xiv: 29.) Again, "And the glory which 
Thou hast given Me I have given unto them; that 
they may be one, even as We are one." (John xvii : 22.) 

Certain Victory : — In the study of the Revelation 
then, these two parallel lines of truth must constantly 
be kept in mind — the actual and the ideal. The latter 
is most prominent as giving an optimistic tone to the 
whole message of the Book, assuring God's people of 
certain victory. The prayer, "Thy kingdom come" is 



228 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



pictured as already fully answered. The "first things 
have passed away." In this perfect Kingdom of God 
which the New Testament testifies as even now estab- 
lished among men, the ideal aspect for the Christian 
is that he beholds sin a conquered enemy, temptation 
overcome, death so deprived of its sting that it is no 
more death ; even though we may for a little be put to 
grief in manifold temptations. Apart from a greater 
variety of detail, the representation of the New Jeru- 
salem in the Apocalypse differs in no essential respect 
from the above. There is nothing here that is not 
found, in principle at least, in the other sacred writers* 
and which is connected by them with the heavenly 
aspect of the Christian's pilgrimage to his eternal 
home. 

That anything further relating to earth should be 
described after the vision of the final judgment of 
the wicked in the last chapter, may seem strange. 
Here, however, we have another instance of the 
author's method of developing the various phases of 
his subject to the end, without regard to chronology 
or related themes. We have seen that the plan of the 
Book is to unfold its teaching in cycles. When an 
idea is introduced it is carried on to its issue. (See 
vi-vii; viii-xii; xiii-xviii.) This is likewise true con- 
cerning the fate of the DRAMATIS PERSONAE of 
Evil, which must carry us to the end of all time, 
(xx: 10.) From this point he returns to continue his 
main thesis. 

That the seer, however, is still speaking of this 
world as we know it, and that we have made no mis- 
take in thus interpreting him, is evident from the 
following indications : In xx : 9 f we read of "the camp 
of the saints and the beloved city." The city is none 
other than the New Jerusalem about to be described 
in the following chapter. This description has been 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



229 



anticipated by the call of xviii: 4, "Come forth, My 
people, out of her/' She is inhabited now by none 
but saints, though yet in the world, and as the object 
of attack by Satan and his hosts before the Judgment, 

In xxi : 24 we read, "And the nations shall walk by 
the light thereof ; and the kings of the earth do bring 
their glory into it." And in xxii : 2, "And the leaves 
of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Bear- 
ing in mind that the City describes the people of God 
rather than their residence, the "kings" and the 
"nations" must be differentiated from them. 

These references together with xxi : 7, "And there 
shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he 
that doeth an abomination and a lie," distinctly indi- 
cate that the time for final separation had not yet 
come. 

We cannot fully appreciate what this vision of the 
Holy City meant to John. It called him to look up 
from his then condition to what was worthy of his 
admiration, his love and his sacrifice. The era in 
which this vision was granted has been called the era 
of the "city state." One city, Rome, had dominated 
and brought into subjection all the cities bordering on 
the Mediterranean. Alexandria, Antioch, Ephesus, 
Corinth, paid tribute to her; and, as we have just seen 
by anticipation (assuming that the Revelation was 
written just prior to A. D. 70), she will have made 
of Jerusalem a pile of ruins. The world of that day 
groaned and submitted. John himself was a victim of 
her tyranny, (i: 9.) Then came this vision. There 
was to be a new City, before which even Rome would 
fade away. 

Passing of Judaism: — But predominant as was 
Rome, if there is any significance in the seer's treat- 
ment of his theme respecting Judaism and Jerusalem, 
then the emphasis is to be placed not on the passing 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



of Rome, but upon the elimination of Judaism as a 
potent factor in the future history of the world. The 
coming city is new Jerusalem We venture to say that 
the phase of persecution which stirred the seer most 
was not the pagan, but the religious. Heathenism the 
Church confidently expected to combat with weapons 
mighty through God for the pulling down of its strong- 
holds. It boldly invaded its territory and got a fair 
field. But the struggle with Judaism was more subtle. 
In a measure, its opposition came with surprise. The 
apostles themselves had once been as zealous for Juda- 
ism as were those now opposing them. They, there- 
fore, had a right to expect their misled former co- 
religionists to ultimately come into the light. But the 
experience of the early Church soon dissipated that 
hope. The Jews had religious zeal without knowledge, 
and the result of their opposition to the new order of 
things was the passing of Jerusalem, and with it Juda- 
ism, as a calculable force. 

New Jerusalem: — Perhaps it is not difficult now 
to see that in the description of the new City we have 
an ideal picture of religious conditions during the gos- 
pel era. Here is a new Jerusalem in a new world. 
The old Jerusalem is no more. New conditions of life 
in general will obtain here. This is a world without 
a "sea." We have already pointed out the figurative 
sense in which "sea" is used in this Book. There will 
be no more turmoil and strife of nations. The "golden 
age" of the prophets will be realized under Messiah's 
sway. It is to be a time of peace, when the nations 
will have beaten their swords into ploughshares and 
their spears into pruning-hooks. (Isa. ii : 4; Mic. iv : 
3.) The Kingdom of God can then peacefully extend 
its sway and absorb the kingdoms of the world. 

It was a far cry, of course, between the actual con- 
dition of the world and the world as John saw it in 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 231 



vision. But what encouragement for the waiting 
Church. How cheerfully ought she to labor and pray 
to the end that these things be actually realized. From 
Christ's day to this the Kingdom of God has been com- 
ing, the City of God has been descending from heaven. 
The vision has not always been clear. When, however, 
it has been lost sight of, it is because men have for- 
gotten the conditions of spiritual discernment. All 
seers of the divine have been, like John, "in the 
Spirit." 

The prayers for God and His Kingdom must and 
will be answered. Much that is strange and terrible 
in our earthly life will yet be unriddled in the light 
of the meaning of these prayers. At present God is, 
in a sense, shut out from His world by the selfishness 
of men. His absence is the cause of all the world's 
sin and misery. At His coming every evil that stalks 
the earth would perish. Therefore, every noble im- 
pulse which moves the hearts of good men toward 
their fellows should have this as its aim — to get God 
again into His world, and to secure that "His Will be 
done in earth as it is in heaven." Christ taught His 
disciples to pray, "Thy Kingdom come," and today 
that Kingdom is more than an ideal ; it is in large part 
a reality. It is impossible to conceive of it as existing 
apart from human life. It is in life and concerns man 
in every phase of his being. The gospel is good news 
for the world that now is, and a revelation of the 
world to come. 

The whole picture given in these two chapters must 
be regarded as symbolical, the dimensions surpassing 
any natural explanation. In it there is plainly a refer- 
ence to the ancient Babylon, the name which the seer 
applied to Jerusalem. Herodotus, who had himself 
seen the grandeur of Babylon, describes it as four- 
square, that each side was 120 stadii in length (i.e., 



232 '"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 

one hundredth part of the length of each side of the 
"New Jerusalem"), that its walls were 200 cubits in 
height, and 50 cubits in thickness, and that it had 100 
gates of brass. Ancient Babylon contained within its 
walls that vast Temple of Belus, which was also four- 
square, each side of its sacred precincts being two sta- 
dii in length. The Belus tower was built in stages, 
eight in number, square being placed on square. 
Through the city flowed the Euphrates, dividing it 
nearly in half. Here, too, were the "hanging gardens" 
in the form of terraces, the highest of which was 
planted with trees of all kinds, some of the largest 
size. (See Rawlinson's Ancient Monarchies, ii : 510 
540.) 

If read in connection with the first three chapters 
of Genesis, it also becomes plain that the author meant 
to recall the Old Testament story of Eden to mind. 
"The new heaven and the new earth take the place of 
the old. The city of God, or the paradise of God 
(ii: 7), takes the place of the Garden of Eden. The 
river of water of life corresponds to the fourfold 
river of Eden. The tree of life reappears in the midst 
of the city. And, to clinch the parallel, we are told 
that in the city of God there shall be no more curse; 
the ransom from the primal curse of Eden is com- 
plete." 

Consistently with the method pursued throughout 
the Apocalypse, the new City also has gates, named 
after the twelve Tribes; and walls, named after the 
twelve Apostles, thus combining the Church of both 
dispensations. Indeed, the New Jerusalem is spoken 
of as the Bride of the Lamb, i. e., the Church. The 
figure of marriage is used many times in both the Old 
and New Testaments, to illustrate the relationship 
between God and His people. 



DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



In Chapter XI the seer is told to measure the Tem- 
ple, but not the court of the Gentiles. That was before 
Judaism as an organic force is represented as having 
passed away. But in the New Jerusalem there is no 
Temple. The angel measures the City. The Temple 
was an emblem of God's Presence. It is no more, 
the symbol having given place to the reality, the 
shadow to the substance. God is the Temple here. No 
doubt John has in mind God's peculiar habitation in 
the Church, which is "the light of the world" (Matt, 
v: 14), whose gates are ever open to those whose 
names are "written in the Lamb's Book of Life." For 
here in "Paradise Restored" there are no cherubim to 
keep the way of life as in "Paradise Lost." On the 
contrary, the inhabitants of the new City have free 
access to the "tree of life" and the "water of life." 

Concluding Remarks: — In the midst of these 
wonders the seer falls down in adoration of the 
"angel" who showed him these things. This is the 
second time he has been impelled to this act of devo- 
tion, the first time being when he is told "the mar- 
riage of the Lamb is come." (xix: 10.) On both occa- 
sions the "angel" causes him to desist, saying, "See 
thou do it not. I am a fellow-servant with thee and 
with thy brethren the prophets, and with those who 
keep the words of this book; worship God." This 
"angel" must be of a higher order than the others 
mentioned throughout the course of the narrative. All 
through his visions the seer has had to do with angels, 
but it is only this particular one he singles out for 
worship. For explanation we must recall John's fore- 
word to his Revelation. "And he (Christ) sent and 
signified it through his angel to his servant John." The 
relation , of this "angel" to Christ has already been 
dwelt upon, and needs no further comment here. But 
a statement made in the early part of this work may 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



be repeated here with profit. The "angel" and the 
thing which it predicates are identical, with this dis- 
tinguishing mark, that "the angel is interposed when 
the Persons or things spoken of are represented as 
coming out of themselves and as taking their part in 
intercourse or action." (See Chapter IX.) 

The "angel's" protest against the seer's homage is 
no objection to this explanation. It is simply in keep- 
ing with Jesus' attitude toward His disciples. "I am 
among you as he that serveth." (Luke xxii: 7.) "The 
Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to 
minister." (Matt, xx: 28.) This interpretation in no 
way invalidates what we have elsewhere said about 
the Deity of Christ, or that we imply that Christ is 
not to be worshipped. This is farthest from our 
thoughts, for if there is one thing we have emphasized 
in this study, it is the conspicuous place that Christ 
holds in all the visions of the Book of Revelation. He 
is ever the object of adoration with the redeemed be- 
cause He purchased them with His blood, and because 
He is the Supreme Revealer of God. One of the 
plainest inferences of the whole Apocalypse is that 
God cannot be apprehended except through the Son. 
Our explanation of this incident harmonizes with the 
philosophy of the Biblical revelation. The need of 
revelation implies limitation on the part of those to 
whom it is made. It were unnecessary could we at 
present spiritually see eye to eye and face to face. But 
even now, with the revelation we have, "we see through 
a mirror obscurely," and we "know in part." "But 
when that which is perfect is come, that which is in 
part will be done away." (I Cor. xiii.) Like much 
else in the Apocalypse, the teaching here anticipates 
the time when revelation, i. e., divine accommodation 
to finite needs and limitations, will no longer be needed, 
but the imperfect, having through Divine grace be- 



"DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE 



come perfect, even the revelation in the Son will have 
fulfilled its purpose, and God, the Absolute God, will 
be all in all. (I Cor. xv: 28.) It also teaches that 
angels, prophets, apostles and all saints are one in 
respect of service to God. It is an emphatic touch 
to the truth that has been presented several times 
throughout the Book, concerning the unity of the 
Church in all generations. 

"The time is at hand," and the status of all classes 
is fixed. They must remain as they are, so to speak, 
and await the issue. This is capable of broad appli- 
cation. It is true every moment; death may ensue 
without warning and substantiate the truth of these 
words, or Christ may come in Person and fulfil them. 
This coming is, in its ultimate reach, the burden of 
John's message. What men are at this very moment 
determines their status from the Divine viewpoint, 
and as they have no lease on life their present may be 
their eternal state. John's opening statement is veri- 
fied by Jesus, Who declares He sent His Angel to 
testify of these things. The Book closes with an uni- 
versal invitation to the thirsty to "come, take the 
water of life freely." At the same time we have an 
echo of the cry of the suffering Church, "Come, Lord 
Jesus" ! It is the cry of the Church universal and is 
as applicable to our day as that in which the words 
were written. 

This is the Book of Revelation's answer to the age- 
long problem of the suffering of the righteous. AH 
suffering, in its ultimate reach, is caused by sin. To 
bring peace and happiness sin must be eradicated. 
This can be done only through sacrificial suffering. 
"The lamb slain from before the foundation of the 
world" is God's remedy for sin, the antidote for the 
bane. The purposes of God are to be wrought through 
the atoning death of Christ. This "lamb" is also the 



236 "DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE" 



"Lion of the tribe of Judah," Who prevailed to open 
the book with the seven seals and Who solves the 
enigmas of history. The seer shows us how all things 
are working together for good because the triumphant 
Christ is present in His Church. The situation is ad- 
mirably summed up by the apostle Paul thus: "Now 
I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up on my 
part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ 
in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the 
Church." (Col. i-24.) In the Revelation this is the 
experience of all God's children. The Book teaches 
that all things are moving toward that felicitous time 
when the will of God shall be done in earth as in 
heaven and that the suffering of the righteous is a 
part of the Divine plan to that end. With the coming 
of the Kingdom in its completeness will appear the 
King. 



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